Brand New Day
by xHalosandwings
Summary: When step-siblings Eve Torres and Kofi Kingston are moved to a new town, they're faced with a glamorous world with relationships they've never known before. Can they function in this crazy new world or will they crumble with the high-stakes social status?
1. Just A Small Town Girl

Okay, I know what you're thinking, _"A 90210-style fic, how original, Melissa!"  
_But I'm hoping to do something a little different with this one, so please give it a try, and I hope you enjoy it!

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**JUST A SMALL TOWN GIRL**

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Eve Torres couldn't help but think how much she hated losing battery on her iPod. What was she supposed to do for the rest of this journey?

She wasn't a negative person – in fact, she was probably one of the sweetest girls in America – but seriously? This sucked hard. Colorado to California was the longest car ride she'd ever taken, and it was everything she'd predicted it would be; sweaty and extremely boring. It takes about a day to get there, however the Torres/Kingston family had spent the night in a motel to break up the journey.

"Two hours to go." Eve's mom Carol Torres counted down, looking at the glowing numbers of the clock on the dashboard. "You kids excited?"

Eve looked over at her step-brother, Kofi Kingston, whose ears were enthralled by Lil Wayne blasting through his iPod earphones. His eyes were captured by his cell phone, as he was no doubt looking at pictures of his precious Danielle on his cell phone, mentally cursing his father's new job in Beverly Hills and wishing he didn't have to travel across the country to start a new life. If Kofi had a voodoo doll, there'd be no guesses as to who he'd be stabbing.

"Someone's in a bad mood." Eve laughed, nudging her brother and pulling an earphone out of his ear. "Are you listening?"

"He's too busy thinking about Danielle." Kofi's dad Andrew Kingston teased from the driver's seat, referring to Kofi's pride and joy; more important than any of his basketball trophies was his girlfriend Danielle. "You worried she's going to forget about you?"

"Why would she want to remember me? I had to break up with her because we're moving to stupid L.A" He folded his arms across his chest, letting out a deep sigh. Yep, he was in a bad mood.

"You're such a drama queen." Eve told him. "We've all had to leave things behind in Denver-"

"I had a lot going for me, Eve!" Kofi exclaimed, losing his rag. "I was the captain of the basketball team, I had an incredible girlfriend and everything was going just fine!"

"And I was on the cheerleading team and was captain of the dance squad! I had a great group of friends and when it comes to grades, I'm in the top twenty kids in the entire junior class." Eve paused to catch her breath. She rarely argued with her step-brother, and when she did, she hated it. "We've all left things behind, _bro_. Some of us just don't go on about it like a stuck record."

A frosty silence filled the car, as Andrew tapped his fingers against the steering wheel, and Carol kept her attention focused on the surroundings outside the car. California was certainly different to Colorado, and it was a lot to take in for everyone. Eve wound down her window and draped her arm out the side of the car, letting the warm midday air hit her.

"Can we stop for something to eat?" Eve asked, as she noticed a sign instructing there was a service station ahead. "I'm starving."

Carol turned around to look at her stepson. "Kofi?"

The teenage boy rolled his eyes, before looking out of the window. "Yeah, I guess I could eat something."

* * *

"I know he tries to come across as the big tough guy, but he's pretty sensitive really." Andrew told Eve, as they sat with Carol around a small service station cafe table, watching Kofi stood by a magazine stand, flicking through a copy of Sports Illustrated.

"Yeah, and the only way he can be soothed is by looking at Bar Raffaeli in a bikini." Eve responded sarcastically.

"I think this move's been harder on him than it has on you." Carol explained. "Perhaps you could talk-"

"You think I should apologize to him?" Eve practically spat out the Diet Coke that was in her mouth. "I didn't even do anything wrong!"

"Just do what you think is right, sweetie." Carol got out of her chair, before she signalled for Andrew to follow her lead. "We'll wait in the car."

Eve groaned, draining the last contents of her drink. Perhaps she'd been a little harsh on Kofi, but she was frustrated. They were both sacrificing, so why did he have to be such a baby about it? If this was about Danielle, then he could've done a hell of a lot better anyway. She was just a face of make-up-

Before she mind-bitch about Danielle anymore, she was joined at her table by Kofi, who didn't say anything. Instead, he just drank his Coke and read his copy of Sports Illustrated.

"Sorry I snapped at you earlier." She said lightly. Well, someone had to be the bigger person.

Kofi looked up. "You shouldn't apologize; I was the one being a jackass."

"Yeah, you were." Eve grinned. "But I get it. This move's gonna be difficult for all of us, but we've just gotta learn to deal with it, and that _doesn't_ include getting into stupid fights. Deal?"

"Deal." Kofi and Eve fist-bumped.

"So your dad said this new school has a basket ball team." Eve absentmindedly attempted to lighten the mood, as she rifled through a copy of Cosmopolitan. "You thinking of trying out?"

"Hadn't really thought about it." Kofi admitted. "I'm sure they have a cheerleading team. Are you gonna join that?"

"Maybe." Eve shrugged. "Depends on what the team's like."

"Everything was great in Denver." Kofi commented. "What do you think this new place is gonna be like?"

Eve put down her magazine and twisted her lips in thought. "It's Beverly Hills, Kofi. It's definitely gonna be different." She paused, before turning her mouth into a smile. "But I think I'm excited. I mean it's a new opportunity-"

"Are you slow coaches coming?" Carol called the two teenagers from the entrance of the service station. Eve shot her mom two thumbs up in response.

"We'd better get going before Mom starts PMSing." Eve grinned, slinging her handbag over her shoulder and placing the copy of Cosmo back onto the magazine rack. "You ready?"

"Two hours to go." Kofi looked down at his watch, as the pair walked to the entrance in silence.

Eventually, Eve had to say, "I mean, how bad could it be, right?"

* * *

"Everybody raise your glasses." Carol instructed, as she, Eve, Kofi and Andrew sat around a picnic rug spread out on their living room floor, eating Chinese take-out and drinking out of paper cups. Their furniture hadn't been unpacked yet, and was set up in a fortress around them.

"What are we toasting?" Eve asked.

"We've got a lot to celebrate; new jobs, new schools, not to mention a wonderful new house..."

Eve had to admit; this was a pretty sweet house. Obviously Andrew's new job meant a pay rise, meaning their Beverly Hills mansion was a little more illustrious than their Denver town house. Well, none of them were complaining. Despite the fact there was no furniture, it was already beginning to feel like home.

"Your mom was terrified when I told her I'd bought a house without showing her." Andrew grinned. "I hope her mind's been put to rest."

"You did a good job." Everyone looked at the previously grumpy Kofi in shock. "What?! There's a great basketball court just down the road."

"Not to mention the pretty blonde girl that lives next door." Eve giggled.

"What pretty blonde girl?" Carol asked.

"When we were unloading the van, there was pretty blonde girl that pulled up onto the driveway next door." Eve explained. "She looked about our age. She smiled at Kofi, and now he's totally smitten."

"No, I'm not!"

"So am I adding new neighbours to the toast?" Carol smiled. "Okay, new jobs, new school, new house, and new, pretty blonde neighbours!"

"Here, here!" Andrew received a dirty look from his wife.

"_Cheers!" _

"I'm gonna go use the bathroom." Eve got up to her feet, and made her way out of the living room.

As she walked the echoed hallways of her new home, she smiled. This was her home now, and whether she liked it or not, she'd be living there for the next couple of was her first day at her new school, and despite the butterflies in her stomach, she could feel excitement brewing.

Eve grinned; she could definitely learn to like this.

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So much intrigue!  
Who's the pretty blonde neighbour? How will Eve and Kofi's first days turn out?  
Hope you liked the update, and please leave a **review** and tell me what you think!


	2. First Impressions

Chapter two, coming up!

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**FIRST IMPRESSIONS**

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The sound of buzzing student chat came from behind the door of '**Room 117**', Mrs Ainsbury's English class. It was the first day back at school, and a lot had happened over the summer break. Despite Ainsbury's best efforts, there was a gossip to catch up on, and it would have to come before the Shakespeare lesson she had planned.

"This is our English classroom." Tiffany told Eve. Eve had quickly been given a tour guide in the form of Tiffany Terryl, the beautiful, blonde A+ student. "Some of them are total slackers, but they're okay really."

Despite Tiffany's beauty, Eve got the vibe that she was an overachiever, and possibly shunned from any kind of 'cool' social circle.

So this was Beverly Hills High, Eve thought to herself. She was wondering how Kofi was doing, as the pair had been separated in Principal Kerrigan's office. She'd only been there for a couple of minutes, but Eve could tell it was a lot bigger than her old school, but hopefully they'd soon learn to find her way around.

Eve put this to the back of her mind, as she smoothed out her outfit – which she'd spent hours debating over what to wear; a red-orange ruffled skirt, a black vest top and a pair of black ballet flats. Everyone was so glamorous; it was as if they spent hours getting ready in the morning. Eve loved clothes and shopping just as much as the next girl, but she could already tell these girls took fashion very seriously.

"Are you ready to go inside?" Tiffany asked cautiously, to which Eve nodded in response. She opened the door, and around thirty pairs of eyes swivelled her way. They looked at Eve as if she were some rare breed of bird or something. There were some whispers, but it was impossible for Eve to hear what they were saying.

"You must be our new student." Mrs Ainsbury took Eve's transfer slip, and eyed it up and down. "I'm your English teacher, Mrs Ainsbury. Why don't you take a seat?" She signalled at the empty desk behind Tiffany.

Eve was glad the walk of shame was a short one, as she took a seat at the empty desk. She dug down into the bottom of her black handbag and pulled out a pen, waiting for Mrs Ainsbury to take some kind of control of the class.

When she didn't, a laugh came from the desk behind Eve. "You won't be needing that."

The brunette turned around, and thought she was seeing double. She blinked a couple of times, and realised that her eyes weren't deceiving her. They were twins; attractive, slim, dark-haired twins in cheerleading outfits.

"Twins, right?" Eve laughed slightly at her dumb comment.

"Well done." One of them said sarcastically. "I'm Brie," She jerked her thumb at the other twin. "And this is Nikki."

"And you guys are cheerleaders." Eve laughed again, stating the obvious once again. She received some questioning looks from the twins. "I'm sorry, it's just- I used to cheerlead at my old school."

"Well that's not a surprise." Nikki rolled her eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Eve asked defensively.

"Duh, you're like, totally hot." Nikki giggled, before lowering her voice. "How'd you get stuck with Tiffany?" She signalled over at the blonde, who was scribbling into one of her textbooks.

Eve did her best to sound as neutral as possible, not wanting to aggravate either camp. "Principal Kerrigan assigned her to 'look after' me."

"Lucky you." Brie muttered. "You should come along for cheerleading tryouts. We're holding them tomorrow lunchtime, and I think you'd make a great candidate for the team."

"Are you the captain?" Eve asked, hoping to get an advantage over any other possible candidates.

"Well, no-"

"Maryse is the captain." Nikki filled in. "You'll meet her at tryouts tomorrow."

"I'm excited already." Eve smiled; things were looking good so far.

* * *

Break had rolled around, and Kofi had managed to escape his geeky tour guide, and get some time to himself. He sat down underneath a large oak tree on campus, and leaned against the trunk as he took in the people around him. It was so different to his old school; everyone was so busy, so driven – probably from too many _Starbucks_', but that wasn't the point. It was so regimented, compared to the relaxed attitudes of his old friends, who just took each day as it came.

Kofi took his cell phone out of his pocket and just looked at his background; a photo of him and Danielle. She was beautiful; milky skin, soft brown hair and big brown eyes. What he wouldn't give to just be near her again, to smell her perfume, to talk to her, maybe to kiss her-

"Heads up!"

A basketball began travelling towards Kofi at what seemed like the speed of light, and out of pure instinct, Kofi reached out and caught the ball in his right hand. The group of guys on the nearby basketball court stood open-mouthed.

"Dude! That was a sweet catch." A tall, well-built blonde boy began walking towards Kofi, impressed.

"Thanks." Kofi got up and dribbled the ball over to the court, and shot a basket with ease. "I played on the basketball team at my school back in Denver."

"You new?" The blonde inquired.

"It's my first day." Kofi replied. "I'm Kofi Kingston."

"Jack Swagger." The blonde replied. "I'm the captain of the basketball team."

Jack made introductions for the other present members of the team; Zack Ryder, Montel Vontavious Porter (or just MVP), Dolph Ziggler and TJ Kidd, before entering into an impromptu game of basketball.

"You should come along to practise tomorrow, we've got a space available." Jack suggested.

"That'd be awesome." Kofi replied. "Thanks man."

"Hey, we're your boys now." Jack responded, shrugging nonchalantly. "We've got your back."

* * *

"-and this is the cafeteria, where most people eat lunch." Tiffany told Eve, who rolled her eyes in response to the painfully obvious. She may have been new, but this wasn't her first experience at a high school.

"No way." Eve muttered quietly, looking around for Brie and Nikki; however she couldn't see either of them. Instead, she caught the eye of Kofi, who was at a table of guys, who appeared to be laughing at one of his jokes. Kofi caught Eve's eye, said something to the guys and began walking towards her.

"Hey, I'm just gonna go see my brother, I'll be right back." Eve told Tiffany, and made her way over to Kofi. "I've been looking for you all lunch."

"How's it going?" Kofi asked, still smiling from the 'basketball table' joke.

"Not bad." Eve responded, still looking for Brie and Nikki. "Tiffany's sweet, but I met some cheerleaders in my first class and I can't find them. They said I could come along to tryouts tomorrow."

"Snap!" Kofi exclaimed. "Well, I'm not going to cheerleading tryouts, but I'm going to basketball tryouts." He signalled over to his table. "That's the team."

"I told you it wouldn't be that bad." Eve nudged her brother. "Well, I'll let you get back to your Alpha-Male table. Enjoy yourself." Eve took a deep breath, before walking back towards Tiffany.

Kofi shook his head, feeling sorry for his sister, and made his way back over to his table. "Who's that?" Jack asked, nodding over in Eve's direction, his eyes scanning the pretty brunette.

"That's my sister, Eve." Kofi replied.

"Sister?"

"Well, step-sister." Kofi shrugged; he and Eve were pretty close, so she may as well have been his sister. "Why?"

"She's hot." Jack grinned, examining Eve's long tanned legs and impressive cleavage. Kofi shot Jack a look of pure evil "What? I'm a guy; I have needs!"

Montel raised an eyebrow. "Jack, aren't you dating-"

Jack held up a hand, stopping Montel mid-sentence. "So Kofi, what basketball team do you follow?"

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So how will tryouts go?  
Will Eve make friends with the cheerleaders?  
Has Eve caught the eye of Jack?  
Will Kofi _ever_ get over Danielle?

Perhaps some of these questions will be answered in the next update...  
Hope you enjoyed, and please **review **:)


	3. Back To Reality

I'm really enjoying writing this fic, and I hope you're enjoying reading it :)

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**BACK TO REALITY**

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Eve didn't realise quite how many girls would show up for cheerleading tryouts. The gymnasium was filled to the brim with girls of all ages. From eager freshmen to 'too cool for school' seniors, it was obvious that being a cheerleader clearly meant being at the top of the social pyramid.

"Excuse me everyone!" The excited chatter died down as an attractive Latina stood up on the stage, catching everyone's attention. "Thank you all for coming. I'm assistant to the captain, Rosa Mendes. But then again, you probably all knew that anyway." She giggled. "Our head cheerleader Maryse will be running the auditions, and she'll be arriving very soon. Until then, why don't you guys limber up, and make sure you've got your routines prepared?"

"Great turn out, right?" Turning around, Eve saw Brie and Nikki smiling back at her. She felt slightly reassured seeing some friendly faces – or one friendly face, times two.

"I thought you said I stood a chance." Eve laughed nervously. "So where's Maryse?" Her question was answered by the doors of the gymnasium swinging open, and an unfamiliar figure stepping inside.

_Of course she was the head cheerleader, _Eve smiled to herself_. _She had a long mane of platinum blonde hair, and a perfectly made up face. Her cheerleader uniform showered off her slim, yet curvaceous frame and toned legs. Her manicured nails tapped against the keys of her Blackberry, but as she looked up, a smile snuck across her glossy lips.

"Well, well, well." Maryse chuckled. "This is certainly a surprise." She nodded over at Rosa, who handed her a clipboard of names. "So who's up first?"

Going 'surnames alphabetically' through the list wasn't exactly ideal for Eve, however she was patient, despite sitting through some truly awful auditions. There were some girls that hadn't prepared and just improvised, and some that just had zero rhythm. And the cheerleaders weren't exactly tactful.

"Eve Torres?" Maryse called over, after publically degrading a rhythm-less sophomore, calling her a 'dancing frog'. Eve handed her music to the tech guys, and did her best to walk over to the stage without tripping or shaking in fear. "Why haven't I seen you before?" Maryse asked curiously.

"I've just moved here from Denver." Eve replied, blushing slightly as the whole gymnasium listened in on their conversation. "I used to cheerlead for my school team back in Colorado."

"Well, we have very high expectations at Bev High-" Maryse checked the clipboard. "_Eve_."

"I like to hope so." Eve responded quickly. "Because I have high expectations too." There was no way she was going to be pushed around.

Maryse kept her eyes focused on Eve. "Play the music, boys."

As the opening bars of _Family Force 5_ 'Earthquake' filled the gym, Eve forgot all about the auditions, and as cheesy as it sounds, lost herself in the music. Ever since she was a kid, she had loved dancing. It was her number one passion. Eve just hoped that one day she might make it as a professional dancer or choreographer.

She was completely unaware of the basketball team on the other side of the gym stopping to watch her, and once the three minute dance came to the end, a silence fell among the hall, leading onto a rip-roaring applause. Eve caught Kofi's eye, and he shot her a thumbs up.

"So this is your second day?" Maryse confirmed. "That means you only found out about the auditions yesterday?" Eve nodded confirmation. "You came up with that routine last night?"

"Some of these girls have been preparing all summer." One of the other cheerleaders added.

"Well, I added some of it this morning." Eve blushed. "It was probably a little rusty, but I can-"

"No, no, it was great." Maryse said adamantly, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I'm impressed, and I think I speak for the rest of my girls when I say you are definitely on the team."

"Oh my..." Eve let out an excited squeal, before catching Kofi's eye and laughing. "Did you hear that? I'm on the team!"

"That's great!" Kofi called back, much to the amusement of the rest of the gym. "But I think I'm gonna stop shouting now!"

Eve was still laughing as she went and sat back down in her seat on the bleachers. The girl that was following her looked absolutely terrified, but Eve was too happy to notice.

Things were definitely looking good.

* * *

Maryse picked up her cheerleader skirt, which had been thrown carelessly down on the ground during her passionate tryst with Jack, and slipped into it. Being the captain of not only the basketball team, but the swim team also, Jack had managed to pull some strings so the locker rooms were 'OUT OF BOUNDS' for half an hour.

Barbie and Ken, King and Queen, whatever you called them; Maryse Ouellet and Jack Swagger ran the junior class of Beverly Hills High School with two iron fists. He was the captain of numerous sports teams, and she was the head cheerleader, not to mention they were both two of the most beautiful, blonde teenagers in California. They were a match made in high school heaven, and having been dating since freshman year, they seemed indestructible.

"I'm surprised you still have so much energy after basketball practise." Maryse purred into Jack's ear. Her French-Canadian accent could make anyone melt; a few of the easily-persuadable male teachers had even extended some assignment deadlines, after being seduced by Maryse's voice alone.

"Well, watching cheerleading tryouts gets me all hot and bothered." Jack paused to slide his t-shirt back on. "Especially when you get up there and show those girls how it's done."

"If you weren't my boyfriend, I'd just think you were a total pervert." Maryse smirked, however it was cut off by Jack's lips pressing against hers. She pulled away after a couple of seconds to continue talking. "So, any new additions to the basketball team?"

"There are a couple of impressive guys." Jack thought back on tryouts. "What about the cheerleading team?"

"I've gotta say, it was a pretty weak year, considering our high standards." She rolled her eyes. "There was this one girl, though-"

"Eve Torres." Jack mused, thinking about the beautiful Latina he'd seen numerous times over the past couple of days. How could he forget her? She was unforgettably stunning.

"How did you know that?" Maryse arched a perfectly-plucked eyebrow.

"Her brother's on the basketball team." He quickly responded. "Kofi Kingston."

"Isn't he-"

"They're step brother and sister." Jack explained, predicting Maryse's query as he'd had the exact same one.

"Hmm." Maryse sat down on Jack's knee, allowing him to slip an arm around her waist, and draw a line of kisses up her next.

"What're you thinking?" He asked, unconcerned.

"Brother and sister both create an impact." Maryse created the headline with her hands. She got up and adjusted her clothes in the mirror. "I like it. I have a good feeling about these two."

* * *

"We live in Beverly Hills, right?"

Looking at Kofi in disbelief, Eve watched him put down the sponge he was holding, and put his hands on his hips. "Really, Kofi?" She laughed sarcastically. "Because I thought this was Iowa."

"Surely if we're living in Beverly Hills, we could afford to get someone to do this for us." He responded, picking up the sponge, and continuing to scrub away at the black paintwork.

Eve rolled her eyes. It's true, the Torres-Kingston family probably could have afforded to bring in some help around the house, however the parents adamantly denied the idea. They wanted their kids to keep some of their hard-working hometown values, and that meant coming in from school and cleaning their car. It was a joint car, a present from their parents for passing sophomore year with good grades.

"Don't look now, but the future Mrs Kingston is entering at one o'clock." Eve whispered, signalling over at the silver convertible pulling onto the driveway in the house next door.

Kofi put down the sponge once again, and looked at the girl. He could only see her head in the car, but it sure was one beautiful head. She had long, wavy blonde hair, and a beautiful, porcelain face.

Eve threw a sponge at her stepbrother, bringing him back to reality. "Hey loser, close your mouth. It's not a good look."

The pair went back to their scrubbing, however as the blonde got out of the car, Kofi managed to steal a few glances at her. He couldn't take his eyes off her. Her jeans and a plain white tank top were simple, but showed off her slender figure to perfection. He noticed the little things about her, like her manicured nails, and the jewels on her pink flip-flops-

"Hey!" He was once again snapped to his senses by Eve, however this time she wasn't talking to him, but to the pretty blonde. "Come over here."

The blonde stepped over the plant bed, and into their garden.

"I'm Eve Torres, and this is my step-brother Kofi Kingston." The brunette shot the blonde a smile. "We just moved in a couple of days ago from Colorado."

"I know, I was gonna come say hi at some point, but I've been real busy." The blonde shot them a gleaming smile back. Her smile made Kofi melt. "I'm Kelly Carlyle."

"That's a bit of a mouthful." Eve laughed.

"I know; some of my friends just call me Kelly Kelly." She giggled, and Eve couldn't help but notice that her smile was directed at Kofi. "Do you guys go to Beverly Hills High School?"

"We're both juniors." Eve responded.

"I am too. If either of you need a tour guide, I'd be more than happy to help." Kelly nodded over at the dripping car. "Well, I'd better leave you guys to clean your car, but if I see you around, I'll say hi."

"Vice versa." Kofi simply watched in amazement as the two girls exchanged a quick hug, before Kelly crossed the flowerbed, separating the two houses. "What?" Eve laughed at Kofi's expression.

"You make friends quickly." He shrugged, before going back to work.

"I practically put her on a plate in front of you; you could've at least said something to her."

"I will eventually." Kofi replied. He just needed to find the right words to say.

* * *

Kofi and Kelly Kelly? Possible new couple?  
Jack and Maryse seem happy, but does Jack have an interest in Eve?  
Hope you enjoyed reading, and please leave a **review** :) X


	4. Breaking Out

Chapter 4, here we go!

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**BREAKING OUT **

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"I was thinking of dying my hair light brown," Nikki contemplated, pushing the salad leaves around her bowl thoughtfully. The cafeteria was packed with Beverly Hills High students, but the cheerleaders were in their own little social bubble. Much to Eve's delight, she was now a part of that bubble. "Or maybe blonde."

"Ew," Maryse scrunched up her face. "Why would you do something like that?"

"People can't the difference between Brie and I." The twin sighed in a 'Poor Me' fashion. She turned back to the Queen Bee. "Anyway, it works for you."

"Yes, but I'm a natural blonde." Rosa Mendes scoffed at Maryse's comment; however the blonde simply shot her a dirty look, before carrying on. "Besides, you can't change. You guys are twins, it's like it's your gimmick."

Nikki once again sighed reluctantly, before turning to the newest member of the cheerleading squad. "What do you think?"

All of the cheerleaders' eyes focused in on Eve, whose jaw dropped slightly, as she attempted to think of a sensible, yet cheerleader-friendly answer. "I think you have great hair, Nikki."

"That's so sweet of you." The twin blew Eve a kiss across the table. _Phew, lucky escape._

"Does anyone want anything from the vending machine?" Eve asked, pulling her wallet out of her bag and getting up from her seat.

"I'll have a sparkling water thanks, sweetie." Maryse slipped a couple of coins into Eve's open palm, before turning back to her conversation with Rosa. As much as Eve enjoyed hanging out with the cheerleaders, she sometimes needed to step away from their mindless talk, and take a moment to herself. She wasn't saying she was above them or better than them, but some of their conversations could be a little...

"Hey Tiffany!" As she queued for the vending machine, she noticed the girl waiting in front of her was the one that had shown her around the school to begin with. Although they hadn't spent much time together, Eve had always found Tiffany sweet, and fun to be around, and hopefully just because Eve was a cheerleader, that didn't mean they couldn't still hang out.

Eve was worried this might be the case, however, when Tiffany didn't respond to Eve's greeting.

"Tiff?" Eve walked around to the side of the vending machine so she was facing the blonde. "What's going on?"

"Why're you talking to me, Eve?" Tiffany frowned, furrowing her brow in a confused manner. "You're with the cheerleaders now, and-"

"That doesn't mean I can't talk to you!" Eve exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

"Actually, it kinda does." Tiffany replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You're a cheerleader now, and you say we can still be friends, and maybe we will for a little bit, but..." She paused, and bit down on her lip. "Cheerleaders don't talk to girls like me. We're in different worlds now, Eve."

"Tiff-"

"I appreciate the effort, Eve, really I do, but-" Tiffany didn't even finish her sentence, as she simply shrugged, took her bottle from the receiving hole and left the vending machine.

Eve was hurt. She didn't understand; at her old school back in Denver, there were no cliques, everyone just got along, and spoke to everyone. Friendship groups weren't an issue-

"Ouch, that was awkward."

Eve didn't even realise anyone was stood behind her, until an unfamiliar voice told her otherwise. As she turned around, she saw a tall, reasonably attractive guy stood behind her. He was blonde, and with an athletic, muscular frame.

"Eavesdropping is bad, y'know." Eve pointed out, before slipping her money into the vending machine.

"You caught me. I couldn't help it." He offered her an outstretched hand. "I'm Jack Swagger."

"Eve Torres." She responded, shaking his hand. A little formal, but she was happy to oblige.

"Oh right, you're Kofi's sister." He responded with fake 'sudden realisation'. He knew _exactly_ who she was, and what she was all about. "And you're on the cheerleading team."

"Well done." She grinned. "You're my new stalker, right?"

"No, I'm just a buddy of Kofi's." Jack responded with a dazzling smile of his own. "I thought I'd come introduce myself; I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of each other."

Eve winced, unsure if he was insinuating at something. "Really? Well, I'd better get back to my table, but I guess I'll see you around?"

"Definitely." He nodded, before turning in the opposite direction. He had her right where he wanted her, didn't he?

* * *

"Is that Jack over there talking to Eve?" Dolph nudged Kofi, and pointed over at the vending machine where the basketball captain had the newest cheerleader smiling.

"Eve is so hot." Montel commented, his eyes focused on the beautiful Latina, making it difficult for him to concentrate his lunch.

"Dude, that's my sister." Kofi punched Montel in the arm.

"Yeah, but she's your step-sister." Dolph added. "It's not that weird."

Kofi looked over at Montel, who simply laughed. Dolph wasn't exactly going to be getting any offers from Harvard any time soon. "You have a step-sister right?" Dolph nodded. "And she's pretty hot, isn't she?"

"No way man, that's..." Dolph stopped mid-sentence and rubbed his chin in a state of thought, "No, you're right. It's still pretty weird."

"Man, you've already got a girlfriend; leave some of the hot chicks for the rest of us." Montel laughed, as Jack came back to the table with his usual cocky swagger – no pun intended. "You can't be flirting-"

"Who said anything about flirting?" Jack said innocently. "I was just... making the new girl feel welcome."

Kofi simply blocked out his teammates, as they began to discuss his step-sister. To be honest, Kofi didn't see Eve in that way at all; she was his goofy step-sister, and she had been for years now. He saw her in sweats and a baggy t-shirt in the morning, and eating Ben & Jerry's straight from the tub at night; something that would certainly decrease her 'hot' reputation by a couple of notches.

"Hey Kofi." Kofi turned around and saw that his neighbour Kelly was already walking past him, looking as beautiful as ever.

Today, she was wearing a pair of pink denim hot-pants, a navy blue tank top and a pair of white Birkenstocks, adding to her cute California girl look. No matter how much Kofi focused on her body, he just couldn't escape her beautiful smile.

"Hey Kelly." He replied, giving her a wave, before she sauntered out of the cafeteria. Finally, he'd said something to her. _Boy, she was so stunning_.

"How do you know Kelly Carlyle?" Jack scoffed disapprovingly, as the basketball team watched Kelly walk down the hall.

"She's my next door neighbour." Kofi said, slightly reluctantly. What did Jack have against Kelly? She seemed perfectly sweet. "Why?"

"That girl is a total whore." Jack laughed. "Even Dolph doesn't want her, and we know he'd have anyone." Dolph ignored Jack's comment by throwing a potato chip at him.

"I don't get it, she seems nice." Kofi paused, letting his eyes go all dreamy and cloudy. "Not to mention totally hot."

"Maybe if STD's are your thing." Dolph muttered.

"What?" Kofi was deadly confused.

"Kelly was on the cheerleading squad from the beginning of freshman year, but then as soon as sophomore year hit, she pulled out." Jack paused to lower his voice. "No-one knew why until someone saw her shopping in Baby Gap, and she had got pretty big. She pulled out of school because she was pregnant."

"No-one knows who the father is." Montel added.

"Probably not even Kelly." Dolph chipped in.

"She left the school, no-one's seen the baby, now I guess she's come back to 'start over'. Not that anyone's ever going to let her live it down." Jack continued. "I'd watch yourself before you start hanging out with Kelly Carlyle."

Kofi sighed; if Jack was telling the truth, then appearances were definitely deceiving

* * *

"See you guys later!" Eve called to her friends in the gym, before making her way out to the parking lot.

As she used her sleeve to wipe away the beads of sweat on her forehead, Eve remembered the head cheerleader's words at that first tryout. Maryse was right; the Beverly Hills High cheerleaders did have high expectations, but Eve thought she was living up to them just fine. Maryse seemed to think she was good, and that was the main thing. Now Eve was looking forward to going home to take a shower and eat some Cookie Dough Ice-Cream to reward herself.

It was after-school, so the parking lot was surprisingly empty; only a couple of teacher's cars scattered around, however there was one boy stood about a metre away from her that had definitely caught Eve's attention.

He was leaned back non-chalantly against the wall, and he had a mysterious aura to him. He wore a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. The California sun was burning, so he was holding his black leather jacket in his hand. He had full lips, bright blue eyes, and either very dark blonde or light brown hair – Eve couldn't decide. What she could decide on, however, was that he was very good looking.

Dragging her eyes away from the boy, Eve searched the parking lot for Kofi, but he wasn't there. She pulled her cell phone out of her bag and searched for Kofi's number.

"No battery," She muttered, pushing her phone back into her pocket. "Hey." She turned to the guy waiting next to her. The more she looked at him, the more familiar he looked. "Do you have a cell phone I can borrow? My battery just died."

He looked caught off-guard that someone was talking to him, but he obliged, digging into his pocket and handing Eve his cell phone. She smiled brightly in response, before dialling Kofi's number.

'_Hey, you've reached Kofi. I guess I'm not around, so if you leave a message, I'll call you back some other time.'_

"Idiot." Eve groaned. Kofi said he'd pick Eve up after cheerleading practise as long as she called when it was done. Well, surely she couldn't call if he wasn't picking up? Eve turned back to the boy and held out his phone. "Thanks."

"That was pretty quick." He commented.

"My brother's supposed to be picking my up after cheerleading practise, and... you were just being polite, weren't you?" She paused and smiled. "I'm Eve, by the way."

"I know." He smiled back; he had a great smile. "You're in my biology class."

_That's where she knew him! _"Oh yeah, and you're Ted, right?"

"Ted DiBiase." He finished. "So how're you finding-" Before Ted could finish his sentence, an expensive looking black jeep pulled up opposite them, and as the window unwound, Eve noticed Cody Rhodes, a boy from her math class.

"Did you want a ride, or not?" Cody called out to Ted.

Ted paused to capture a glance at Eve. He asked, "Did _you_ want a ride?"

"I'm not a taxi service, y'know." Cody pointed out.

Eve shrugged back at Ted. "It's fine, I can-"

"Eve, I'm kidding." Cody smiled, to which Eve let out a nervous laugh.

"Come on, I'll let you ride shot gun." Ted teased, holding open the door for Eve, allowing her to get inside. "Now where did you say you lived?"

She grinned. "I didn't."

* * *

Jack and Eve? Ted and Eve?  
And what about those stories about Kelly?  
Things are getting very dramatic, very quickly!  
Please leave a **review **:) X


	5. Cordially Invited

Chapter 5, coooooming up :)

* * *

**CORDIALLY INVITED**

**

* * *

**

"We don't have much food in the house," Eve commented, rifling through the refrigerator. "And unless you fancy coming down to the store and picking something out, I say we stick with ordering-" The brunette stopped mid-sentence and held up a pizza box, a triumphant smile on her face.

"Jackpot." Kelly hitched herself up onto the kitchen counter, and swung her legs out of the way so Eve could slip the pizza into the oven beneath. "I'm starving."

"Me too." Eve agreed. "Maryse decided to hold an emergency cheerleading practise because of the big game next weekend, despite the fact we've got practises pretty much every day next week."

"Yeah, that's Maryse for you." Kelly smirked, knowingly. "Can I have a drink?"

"Yeah, we've got some stuff in the fridge." Eve held the door open for Kelly. "I don't know why you're not on the cheerleading team. You do gymnastics, right? And I mean, you're not exactly bad to look at. You'd be a perfect fit."

"Actually, I used to be on the team." Kelly admitted, pouring Coca-Cola into a glass. "I had to pull out though."

Eve was intrigued. "Why?"

"Personal reasons, I don't really like to talk about it." Kelly traced the rim of the glass with her finger, before snapping her head up to look at Eve. "There are a lot of rumours about me at Bev High. Some of them are true, and some of them aren't."

"I haven't heard any." Eve shrugged, innocently.

"If you do, just be careful of which ones you believe." Kelly told Eve, before sitting herself back on the kitchen counter. "So have you seen any guys around school that you like?"

The first week at Bev High was over, and Eve was spending her night with a new friend. Since meeting Kelly a couple of days prior, the two had quickly become close. Eve felt very relaxed around Kelly; she wasn't sure of exactly why – maybe it was because she wasn't on the cheerleading team – but there was something about the blonde that was comfortable and made her very easy to talk to. It turned out that they both had a lot in common; they both loved dancing, the beach, not to mention boys...

"Well, Jack Swagger was talking to me at the vending machine the other day." Eve admitted.

"Swagger's been dating Maryse since freshman year." Kelly told Eve gently, concerned that she might hurt the brunette's feelings. "But he's a douche anyway."

"Well there was this other guy I met after-school the other day." Eve settled down opposite Kelly into a kitchen chair. "I don't know if I 'like' him, but he was totally hot."

"What's his name?" Kelly clutched her glass with interest.

"Ted DiBiase." Eve said his name with a smile on her face. Just thinking about him made her insides tingle, from his piercing eyes, to his reluctant smile, not to mention his toned biceps.

"Oh, now he is _hot_. My God, what I wouldn't give for a little DiBiase-"

"Kelly!"

"What? He's got that whole mysterious, James Dean, bad-boy outsider thing going on." Kelly hopped off the counter, waggling a sarcastic disapproving finger. "Definitely not the type of guy a cheerleader should go for."

"Oh really?"

"Maryse would probably rather you went out with a nice, clean-cut jock." Kelly paused to smirk. "Like Zack Ryder."

"_Woo, woo, woo..._"

"..._you know it!_" The two girls collapsed in laughter, as they recalled the eccentric basketball player's cringe worthy catchphrase. He seemed to think it was cool, but not many other people agreed. How his girlfriend Rosa put up with it, was beyond Eve.

The girls were eventually pulled from their laughter, by the sound of the front door opening, and footsteps in the hallway.

"Hello?" Eve called, wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes.

"It's only me." Kofi replied, coming into the kitchen and placing his bag of basketball kit down on the table. "What's for-" He paused when he noticed the beautiful blonde leant back coolly against one of the worktops. "Hey Kelly."

"We're making pizza, did you want some?" She asked politely, brandishing the box.

"Kelly brought round her dad's _Rocky_ box set. Are you gonna join us?"

"I've-I've got a history project I've got to get started on." Kofi garbled, picking up his bag of the floor.

"Dude, its Friday night." Eve laughed. "You love Rocky: you can finish your project another night." Kofi shrugged weakly, before leaving the room. Eve furrowed her brow, and looked over at her friend. "What the hell was that about?"

Kelly kept her eyes focused on her coke, as she swished it around her glass. He hadn't believed the rumours, had he?

* * *

"Even if you do it outside, smoking's bad for you, y'know." Ted commented, as he watched Cody smoke a cigar – naturally, stolen from his father - out of his bedroom window.

"Cigars are healthier than cigarettes." The younger of the two retorted. "And besides, you can't judge; you used to smoke."

"Yeah, but I quit last year." Ted responded, as he lay comfortably on his bed. "You can smoke at your own house, but not at mine. My mom's got the nose of a bloodhound."

Cody stubbed out the cigar out of the windowsill, before throwing it into one of Ted's neighbour's gardens with great accuracy. "Evidence gone." He placed himself down on Ted's desk chair, and looked around the room, agitatedly. "I'm bored, Ted."

DiBiase let out a low chuckle. "Well entertain yourself then." He then remembered what Cody's idea of 'entertaining' himself was, and winced. "Actually, scratch that. What you do in your bedroom is your own business."

"It's Friday night, and we're stuck in your house with nothing to do. And playing on your brother's Xbox is not my idea of fun."

Ted chose to remain silent, as he kept his eyes focused on the ceiling above him.

"You're thinking about that girl, aren't you?" Ted and Cody had been best friends since childhood; they were more like brothers than friends. They knew everything about each other, and that included having a pretty accurate idea of what the other was thinking about.

"About who?" Ted lied.

"Eve." Cody said with a knowing smile. "I don't blame you, man; she's pretty hot."

"She _is_ hot." The smile was infectious, as it spread onto Ted's face.

Everytime he saw Eve around school, he smiled. Eve was definitely the most beautiful girl in the junior class, without a doubt. The other cheerleaders may have been sexy, but they all turned out to be stuck-up bitches in the end. Eve, on the other hand, was something else. She was sweet, and smart, and she had a good sense of humour to boot. In the short time he'd known her, and in the two conversations they'd had, Ted couldn't find a fault in her.

"Earth to Ted," Cody waved a hand in front of his friend's face.

"Sorry." Ted blinked a couple of times. "But at the end of the day, she's a cheerleader, and chances are, she'll end up dating some douche bag like Zack Ryder." Ted caught Cody's eye, and they both exchanged a shudder.

"You never know, douche bag might not be her thing." Cody shrugged. He walked over to the other side of the room, where Ted kept his sporting equipment. Cody picked up a football and threw it at Ted. "Now get up, because if I'm not allowed to have a smoke, then I'm gonna have to get my kicks some other way."

"Strip club?" Ted laughed, sitting upright. "Because that's not legal."

"Close. The girl's Catholic school downtown is having a pep rally to celebrate the return to school. I'm thinking short cheer leading routines and even shorter skirts."

Ted grabbed his leather jacket off the back of her chair, a slight smirk on his face. Why he was still friends with Cody, he had no idea.

* * *

"I like that dress." Kelly prodded the magazine she and Eve flicked through, as they sat on Eve's bed. "Oh, and that one too. And that one."

"Are there any dresses you don't like?"

"Its seven months until spring formal; I'm keeping my options open. Now show me to the shoes, because I'm definitely in a heels mood." Kelly smiled. "What're you up to for the rest of the weekend? We could go shopping tomorrow if you want. Beverly Hills shopping is the best-"

"I don't know yet-"

"_Eve! Maryse is on the phone!" _Carol Torres' voice flooded from downstairs. Eve looked over at Kelly, who rolled her eyes at the mention of Maryse's name. Eve definitely got the vibe that the two blondes had a rocky past.

"Go ahead," Kelly laughed, holding up the copy of _Glamour_. "I've got your magazine to keep my company."

Eve got off of the bed, and slipped her furry slippers onto her feet, before padding out onto the landing where the phone sat. "Hello?" She answered.

"_Bonjour, sweetie. It's Maryse_."

"What's up, Maryse?" Eve grinned; how could Eve not have guessed from the accent?

"_You're coming to the party tomorrow night, aren't you?" _Maryse confirmed.

"What party?" Eve said, as she settled down into the chair next to the phone. She hadn't heard of any party.

"_There's a party at Zack Ryder's house tomorrow night, I thought I told you about it." _

"Maybe," Eve paused as she noticed Kofi walk past on his way to the bathroom. "Hey Kofi, have you heard about some party at Zack Ryder's tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, I'm going along." He shrugged. "Are you coming?"

"_You're coming, aren't you?_" Maryse repeated.

Eve smiled; she now had plans for Saturday night. "I guess I can't say no."

* * *

I'm feeling some definite Eve/Ted-ness going on.  
And what's with the Kelly/Kofi tension? Perhaps Jack's words have stuck with Kofi... But are they true?  
Please leave a **review**, and I'll be updating soon :) X


	6. Beautiful, Dirty, Rich

Chapter 6, here we go!

* * *

**BEAUTIFUL, DIRTY, RICH **

* * *

"_Daddy I'm so sorry, I'm so s-s-sorry yeah..."_

"_...we just like to party, like to p-p-party yeah..." _

The sound of Lady Gaga blaring through Nikki and Brie Bella's bedroom insinuated that Saturday night was party night. The night of Zack Ryder's much-hyped shindig had arrived, and Eve was getting ready at the Bellas' house. As Eve got ready alongside her new friends, she was unsure of how to feel. She was excited, but also slightly nervous, and completely unsure of what to expect. Who was gonna be there? What was gonna happen? She was just happy that Kofi was coming for back-up.

"I am so ready to part-ay!" Brie squealed, shimmying around her bedroom. Naturally, it was Nikki's bedroom as well – it turns out the stereotypical 'twins sharing everything' cliché applied to these girls.

"Tell me about it; I've been working so hard this week." Eve knew that Nikki's idea of hard work was persuading a group of 'nerds' to finish her science project for her, but she decided not to bring that up. Nikki turned to Eve. "You must be excited; it's your first Beverly Hills party, right?"

Eve simply nodded, deciding not to bore the twins with her mixed feelings. Instead she decided to examine her outfit in the mirror. She'd wanted to look demure, yet not stuffy, and sexy, not slutty. She hoped her short Grecian-style pale blue dress and gold flats combo would do the trick.

"I hope some hotties show up." Nikki mused, her eyes clouding over slightly as she stared dreamily into the mirror, curling her long, dark hair.

"What about you, Eve?" Brie snapped her head over in the direction of the new girl. "Have you seen any guys you like around school?"

"Well," Eve thought carefully about her answer, as she went to sit down in a chair. "There's this one guy that I thought was hot-"

"Who?" Both twins cut in, in unison.

"Ted DiBiase."

There was a long silence, before Nikki let out a low whistle. "He _is_ hot."

Eve could sense that the long silence wasn't good. "But?"

"He's more trouble than he's worth." Brie concluded. "Every girl loves a bad boy, but mysterious and bad boyfriend goes together hand in hand."

"It's the James Dean effect, right?" Eve smiled.

"Who's James Dean?" Nikki wrinkled her nose.

"I think he's a singer, right?" Brie shrugged at Eve. Eve had to hide the smile on her face with her hand, eventually turning herself completely away from the ditzy twins and going back to fixing her hair in the mirror. Brie rested a hand on Eve's shoulder. "We'll find you a guy tonight, don't you worry about it."

"Gee, thanks guys." Eve managed to say, as she applied one final coat of lipgloss. She wasn't exactly sure if she wanted them to find her a guy, but she appreciated the effort.

At least, she thought she did.

* * *

How was it possible for someone to feel so lonely in such a crowded room?

As Eve clutched her red paper cup of beer, she searched for someone to talk to. Everyone was so enthralled in their own discussions, and Eve wasn't the kind of girl that could just throw herself in at the deep end and barge into someone else's conversation.

"What're you doing stood alone?" Eve noticed that Jack was approaching Eve with an oddly relaxed demeanour about him. "Can I get you a drink?"

"I've already got one." Eve held up her cup.

"You didn't answer my question." The closer she looked, Eve realised Jack's face was a slightly flushed, his eyes bloodshot and his words were slurred.

She allowed herself to smile; he was as drunk as a skunk. "I didn't get the chance; you should never follow one question with another." Eve corrected, waggling a well-manicured finger at Jack.

"Okay, I'll ask again." Jack rolled his eyes. "What's a pretty girl like you doing, standing alone?" She decided to ignore the 'pretty girl' part.

Eve laced her fingers together, trying to work out the correct way to say her answer. "I guess I'm still in the process of making friends. Still figuring out who my friends are, still getting to know people."

"Well, if you want to get to know me," Jack leaned in close so his hot, alcohol-tinged breath tickled at Eve's ear. She felt the colour rise in her cheeks. "We could go up to one of the rooms upstairs."

Her heart stopped in shock. She could think of a lot of reasons why she could go upstairs with Jack. He was good-looking, seemingly sweet, and sure, he was the most popular boy in the junior class, and most girls would kill for a chance to 'get to know' him, but he was dating Maryse. Plain and simple. Actually, there was one other reason Eve had no intentions of 'getting to know him'...

"Eve?"

"You're drunk." The brunette stated, resting a hand on his shoulder. "And I have a feeling you're going to regret this in the morning. Besides, your girlfriend's coming over, and I suggest we forget this whole thing ever happened, and we just go back to- Hey Maryse!" Eve plastered on a fake smile for the head cheerleader.

"What were you guys talking about?" Maryse asked suspiciously, resting her head against Jack's shoulder comfortably.

"Just chit-chatting." Eve said breezily. She sipped up the remaining contents of her beer, before placing the empty cup down on a nearby table. "I'll give you guys some privacy." Eve wasn't much of a religious girl, but as she walked away, she thanked God for that lucky escape.

"What were you guys talking about?" Maryse repeated, this time her question directed at a drowsy Jack, whom she was practically propping up on her shoulder.

Jack didn't say anything, but inside, he was seething, cursing Eve's rejection of him. He was certain that tonight was the night he was going to get her, but he wasn't about to make this public knowledge. Instead, he picked up a can of beer and downed it, before leaning in to kiss Maryse.

"Oh my God, you stink!" The blonde gagged, turning her head away and scrunching up her facial features. "How much have you had to- actually, don't even tell me that." Maryse scanned the room, looking for someone to offload the captain of the basketball team onto. "Hey Kofi!" Maryse dragged her drunken boyfriend over to the newest member of the basketball team, who was succeeding in making Nikki Bella crack up with laughter.

"Do something with Jack." Maryse tactlessly muttered, before looping her arm through Nikki's and sauntering away.

"Are you alright, man?" Kofi asked, placing Jack down in a nearby chair.

Jack once again decided to avoid the question, instead managing to roll his eyes across the room until he found the girl he was looking for. "Alicia Fox."

"Who?" Kofi sat down in the chair opposite Jack and popped open a beer. He was much better at handling alcohol.

"That chick over there." Jack pointed over at a girl that Kofi had vaguely recognised from around school. She was one of Eve's friends – a cheerleader – but tonight she'd left the uniform at home, instead choosing to wear a short black dress that showed off her toned figure to perfection. She had flawless caramel-like skin, and a wild mane of curly hair. "She's hot, right?"

"Yeah, she's hot." Kofi agreed.

"She's a friend of mine – we've known each other since kindergarten – and she was asking about you the other day." Jack's words were now almost inaudible; however Kofi had exceptionally sharp hearing. "I could set you guys up, if you want."

Kofi rested his chin on his fist in thought; he wasn't entirely sure if he was ready to date. He wasn't exactly over Danielle, and he was still confused over his feelings for Kelly.

"Dude," Jack waved a hand in front of Kofi's face. "Shall I talk to her for you?"

"Sure." He probably wasn't over Danielle, but perhaps Alicia would help him out with that. Kofi leaned back in his chair, but he wasn't feeling completely satisfied, unable to shift Kelly from his mind.

* * *

The evening air was cool and refreshing, as it hit Eve's exposed skin. She loved that the evenings in California were cool, but warm enough that she could stand outside in her short dress without freezing her ass off. Back in Colorado, she'd have needed a trench coat around this time of year. Eve slipped her phone out of her clutch bag, and noticed a text from Kelly.

'_Hope the party's fun, c u tomorrow maybe? K x'_

The brunette smiled; a part of her wished her neighbour could've come to the party. Eve was still unsure as to why the 'popular' people didn't like Kelly. There was something that was bothering her, but everytime Eve asked about it, Kelly changed the subject. These unknown rumours secretly troubled Eve. What was Kelly trying to hide from her? Eve's attention was pulled by a familiar expensive looking black Jeep pulling up next to the sidewalk, with two very familiar faces inside.

"It can't be much of a party if you're stood outside." Ted DiBiase stepped out of his car - closely followed by Cody - walked over to Eve, a smirk on his face. He looked especially cute tonight; he was wearing a smart black shirt, and a pair of jeans. He didn't need a leather jacket to look good.

"I didn't know you guys were invited." Eve grinned, feeling secretly pleased that two people she had a great time with had arrived. If she couldn't have Kelly, this was the next best thing.

"We weren't," Cody chipped in, his hands in his pockets. "We're not stopping actually; we just saw you outside and thought we'd say hi."

"Where are you guys going?" Eve asked curiously, considering if the night was only just beginning.

"Ted's half-brother Mike is in college, and we were gonna see if we could get into one of his parties." Cody and Ted walked back over to the car, and Eve found herself following them.

"You wanna come along?" Ted looked Eve up and down. "I'm sure they'd let you in."

Eve smiled. "I'd love to-"

"Eve!" All three turned around and noticed Maryse coming out of the house and tottering over to the trio. When she noticed Ted and Cody, a disgusted look plagued her face. "You're not going, are you?" Her question wasn't one of concern or sadness, more of pity that Eve was leaving this _awesome_ party.

"I-I just..."

"Oh don't worry, we're not staying." Cody said.

"She wasn't leaving," Ted was reluctant. Eve shot him a confused look, to which said simply responded, "I get it, its fine."

"Thank you." Eve whispered, before turning back to Maryse. "Shall we go?"

"What the hell is your problem, man?" Cody nudged Ted, as the pair got back into Cody's car and watched the two cheerleaders walk back inside. "You totally could've had her tonight."

Ted sighed; he understood that Eve was a cheerleader, meaning that her cheerleader-status centred around this party. It was odd how something so small could affect her reputation, but it did. Ted may not have had much of one, but he at least cared enough to salvage Eve's.

* * *

And the drama continues! Jack/Maryse, Jack/Eve, Ted/Eve, Kofi/Alicia, Kofi/Kelly... Still with me?! :)  
Are there any pairings you guys are rooting for?  
Please leave a **review** and subscribe for the next chapter :) XX


	7. Emotional Cover Up

_Hello Chapter Eight :) _

* * *

**EMOTIONAL COVER-UP **

* * *

As she sat at the empty table in her school library, Eve contemplated her options leading on from Saturday night's party. Her friend's boyfriend had made a move on her. Sure, Jack was drunk but she'd never been put in that position before; should she tell Maryse? Should she keep it to herself? If there was one thing Eve did know, it was that she was in the library for a reason, and that reason was not to contemplate her social life.

She picked up her history textbook, and began reading in preparation for a test she had later that afternoon.

"Miss Crane isn't in this afternoon, so we don't have a test." Eve looked up and noticed that she was not alone, as Jack was standing over her desk, a hopeful smile on his face.

"Thanks," Eve muttered, closing the book and slipping it into her bag. "I guess I'll see you in history, then." She went to walk away, however Jack grabbed her arm, pulling her back in front of him. His eyes collided with hers, an unlikely fear clouding Eve's insides.

"You haven't said anything to Maryse, have you?" His voice was low, and severe. Eve tried to pull away, but his grip was strong.

"I told you I wouldn't; I'm the kind of girl who keeps my promises." He let go. "Besides, if she found out, I don't think either of us would come off that well."

"I'm sorry about Saturday night." He followed her as she walked out of the library. "I was wasted, and I said some stuff-"

"Jack," Eve spun on her heel to look at him. "I told you, its fine. Let's just drop it, and forget it ever happened."

He did, but continued to follow Eve through Beverly Hills High, as the brunette made her way towards the main hallway. "You can't blame me though," Jack shrugged innocently, leaning back against the lockers, as Eve fished out her biology textbook. "I mean, you're a good-looking girl."

"And it's comments like that that are going to get you in trouble." Eve tapped Jack lightly across the head with the biology book. Her smile quickly faded, as she leaned back against her own locker. "Maryse is a sweet girl, and she cares about you a lot; don't hurt her." Before Jack come give Eve a response, the bell rang through the school, sounded the start of the school day. "See you around, Jack." Eve smiled, before crossing the hallway to her biology classroom.

Eve had never been keen on biology, however seeing a familiar face in the corner of the room, proffering the available seat next to him, she felt a little bit better.

"Is anyone else sitting here?" Ted shook his head, and Eve made herself comfortable, as the pair began setting up their science experiment. "How was the college party?"

"It was okay." Ted focused his eyes on lighting his Bunsen burner; he wasn't going to tell Eve that he wasn't in the mood for partying after she left. "How was the rest of your party?"

"It was okay." It had been okay, just not brilliant. Everyone was nice, the music was good, but it was missing something, and Eve wasn't entirely sure what. "I'm sorry about Saturday." She twiddled with the ring on her finger, before slipping it off and carefully placing it down on the desk. "Y'know, for going back inside-"

"Nice ring." Ted commented, not wanting to talk about it anymore.

"It's my mom's; I wear it everywhere." Eve smiled down at the ring, silver, with a delicate flower design. "I really wanted to come with you guys-"

"But Maryse would've given you hell." Ted finished. "I get it."

"We're still friends, right?" After her conversation with Tiffany, Eve had no intentions of losing anymore friends.

"Eve, I care about you a lot – as a friend." He quickly added. "But we're in different social circles. Cheerleaders will always come first with you, and I get that. It's not your fault."

"I'm not like those other girls." Eve's defence was quiet.

"And that's a good thing." Ted reassured her. "Never lose who you are, especially not to a bunch of cheerleaders."

Their conversation was stopped by the sound of squealing cheerleaders from the corner of the room, as Rosa Mendes and Alicia Fox had spilt the contents of one of their test tubes over both the desk, and their cheerleading skirts.

"It burns! It burns!" Rosa squealed.

Ted raised an eyebrow, "I thought we were just working with salt water."

Eve couldn't help but smile.

* * *

"Kofi has a d-aaaa-te!" Eve chanted, coming into her brother's room and making herself comfortable on his desk chair. She observed his smart clothing. "Someone's looking dapper."

"Good." Kofi slapped on some cologne. "A nice restaurant should do the trick, right?"

"That's not your scene, is it?"

Eve was right; if Kofi had his way, the date would've been much more low key. He was thinking maybe a basketball game. Or even a trip to the beach. Fancy restaurants definitely weren't his scene; he was swimming out of his depth, for sure. "Yeah, well apparently these Beverly Hills cheerleaders are pretty high maintenance." Kofi took a moment to look at his sister. "Well, except you."

"Shut up," She scanned his desk for something to throw, before picking up a small inflatable basketball and lobbing it in his direction.

"So is there anything I should know about Alicia?"

"Both of her parents work in real estate, she has a dog called Juicy, and she's a pretty good cheerleader." Eve recited all she could remember about Alicia. "Oh, and she _really_ doesn't like salt water."

"What?"

"Never mind." Eve shook her head and smiled. It was definitely a 'you had to be there' moment. "Oh, and she loves the beach, so she's looking at colleges in Florida."

"But I thought you said she hated salt water?"

Eve giggled, banging her head against the corner of Kofi's desk.

"Whatever." He shook his head. "Well, get out of my room, because I'm going."

"Can you give me a ride to Maryse's house? We're going to work on some routines." Eve ran into her bedroom, and quickly picked up her handbag, before coming back to greet Kofi on the landing.

"Eve, I've got a date..."

"Mom, Kofi won't give me a ride to Maryse's house!" Eve moaned through the door of the study, where their mother was – as usual – working hard. She shot her brother a mischievous grin.

"_Kofi, that car is your sister's as well!" _Carol's voice flooded onto the landing. _"And you know that both of you have eleven thirty curfews, so pick her up on the way home as well, Kofi!"_

Kofi groaned, grabbing the car keys and making his way out of the front door, closely followed by his sister. "Come on then." The evening was warm, and despite it being seven, it was still bright outside-

"Kelly!" Kofi's head snapped over to his sister, who was greeting their beautiful blonde neighbour as she sat on her front lawn, scribbling into a notepad. "What's going on?"

"Working on my English assignment." The blonde rolled her eyes, before looking up at Kofi. Her expression instantly changed, an innocent smile flashing across her beautiful face. "Hey Kofi."

"Hey," He grunted, caveman-style, before looking down at his watch. "Eve, we've gotta get going-"

"Where are you guys going?" Kelly's eyes were fixed on Kofi.

"Well, I'm going to Maryse's house, but Kofi's got a date with Alicia." Eve winked.

Kelly frowned for a moment, allowing a slight twitch to hit her left eye, however she quickly composed herself, before allowing herself to smile again. "I hope you guys have fun."

"Come on, Eve, let's go." Kofi practically bundled his sister into the car, before quickly starting up the engine and firing off down the road.

"What the hell is your problem with Kelly?" Eve exclaimed, slamming a fist against the dashboard. "Everytime you see her, you act like she's the plague."

"I've got nothing against Kelly-"

"Well it sure doesn't seem that way!"

"Kelly's not who you think she is." Kofi stated, his eyes focused on the road ahead.

"What are you talking about?" Eve squinted. "She's not who I think she is? What's that supposed to mean?"

He lightly chuckled. "How much time have you got?" At that very moment, the car came to a stop, as the red light forced Kofi to pull the car to a halt.

Eve turned to her brother, "I'm listening."

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Hope you enjoyed :) Please leave a review :) XX  
PS - There's a new **poll** on my profile, and it would be awesome if you guys could hop on over and take it :)


	8. Memories Remain

Here comes the next chapter!

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**MEMORIES REMAIN**

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"Where's Eve?"

Strutting through the hallways of Beverly Hills High, Maryse instinctively went over her posture techniques in her head. Cheerleading was all about 'tits and teeth', but in the school hallways, it was 'posture and pout'. With Rosa one side of her, and Brie the other, Maryse felt comfortable, and assured. She _always_ stood in the middle; it was like an unwritten law.

"We've got a history test this afternoon, so she was planning to study in the library." Brie remembered.

Maryse scoffed as she approached her locker. "Couldn't she have just copied off one of the nerds?"

"She's really clever, actually." Rosa insisted, slightly absentmindedly as she fixed her hair in her pocket mirror. "She came over and helped me and Alicia in biology the other day; she knew what she was doing."

"Came over?" Maryse wrinkled her nose. Another unwritten rule; cheerleaders stick with other cheerleaders. They really needed to get this girl a manual. "Who does she normally sit with?"

"Ted DiBiase. I think they're friends or something."

Maryse didn't say anything, instead choosing to roll her perfectly made up eyes. "Whatever." She muttered. She'd speak to Eve at some point and fill her in. "If she weren't such a good dancer, she'd probably have been taken off the team by now."

"She's _such_ a good dancer." Brie mused.

"Who's a good dancer?"

All three girls turned around to see Eve and Nikki stood behind them, Eve with a smile on her face. She knew_ exactly_ who they were talking about, but at the risk of sounding cocky, she kept schtum.

"I thought you were studying in the library," Maryse commented dryly.

"It was closed," Eve shrugged.

"Hey Maryse, isn't it nearly your anniversary with Jack?" Rosa may not have been the brightest spark in the box, but as she noticed the bored expression on the head cheerleader's face, she decided it was time to change the subject.

"It'll be two years this Friday." A genuine smile from Maryse was rare, so all the girls were shocked to see it appear. There weren't many people Maryse truly cared about, but Jack was one of them.

"I don't know how he's going to top last year." Nikki commented.

"What did he do last year?" Eve asked.

"We had a cheerleading contest, so they couldn't be together," Nikki began. "So Jack had 365 roses spread out over places she'd find them."

"Like where?"

"My desks in my classes, my locker, my bedroom, the cheerleading locker room," Maryse shrugged as if it were no big deal. "I'm sure he'll find some way to impress me even more."

"You guys are such a cute couple." Eve couldn't help but observe how Rosa was the Gretchen Weiners to Maryse's Regina George.

"Speaking of cute couples," As the girls reached the entrance of the cafeteria, they smiled as they noticed their fellow cheerleader Alicia Fox shoulder to shoulder with Kofi. All the girls cooed, but Maryse had a very different reaction.

"She shouldn't be eating fries."

**

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**

"I had fun on our date the other night." Alicia picked a fry off of the plate, and popped it into Kofi's mouth. "I'm still waiting for you to ask me out again, y'know."

"Well, I've got basketball practise until five, but we could do something afterwards." Kofi replied. "What do you wanna do?"

"No meals; Maryse would kill me if she saw me eating fries." Alicia giggled, however the bell cut off their conversation.

"We could catch a movie?" Kofi suggested.

"Sounds good." Alicia leaned over to kiss Kofi. "Text me later." She said, before bouncing off to her next class.

As Kofi got up and made his way out of the cafeteria, he felt a goofy smile spread across his lips. It was early days, but he liked Alicia. He was sick of moping over Danielle, and no doubt she'd moved on, so why shouldn't he? She was sweet, cute, funny, and they had fun together. After being pulled away from Danielle, he didn't want much else from a girlfriend. Commitment was no longer something he longed for.

"You and Alicia seem close." Kofi's friend, fellow basketball player 'MVP', came up behind Kofi, and nudged the newest member of the team. "What's going on between you two?"

"We're just dating," Kofi shrugged. "No big deal."

"It's always a big deal when cheerleaders are involved." Montel wisely replied as the pair made their way into the locker rooms for gym class. "I'd have asked Layla El out by now if it weren't for her love of bridal magazines."

"Bridal magazines?" Kofi practically shuddered, despite the grin on his face. "Dude, that's-"

"Why I keep her at arm's length." Montel finished, slipping on his basketball jersey. "Listen, I'm sure you had your fair share of chicks back in Colorado, and you know how crazy they can be. Cheerleaders are trouble."

Kofi paused to contemplate Montel's words; he had a point. Women were crazy, and cheerleaders even crazier. He liked to think he knew how to handle the ladies, but he definitely knew when he was in out of his depth. If Alicia ever pulled out the bridal magazines, she could hit the road.

* * *

Kelly laid out her history textbook on the kitchen table, and turned to Eve. "If I start reading out of the book, then you can copy it out and-"

"I've gotta ask you something Kelly," Eve placed her pen down, and looked up at the blonde. "It's been on my mind all weekend, but I don't know how to ask it." Ever since Kofi had told her what he knew about Kelly, Eve had wanted to ask her neighbour herself, but there was something holding her back, not wanting to hurt her.

Kelly huffed, rolling her eyes, and getting up to pour herself a drink; she was used to rumours being spread about her, and was wondering what this one was about. "What's this one about?"

Eve breathed in and reluctantly said, "Are you a mom?"

The glass Kelly was holding dropped into the sink bowl, as her eyes and mouth widened, taking in what Eve had just told her. There were a lot of rumours about her, but she didn't know _that_ one was out. She couldn't lie anymore. A couple of seconds later, she blinked a couple of times, and shut her mouth. "I never got the chance to be a mom." Her voice wasn't much more than a whisper.

"Wait, I don't get it,"

"When I was fifteen, I was raped." Kelly revealed, making her voice as emotionless as she could. "It was on my way home from cheerleading. The guy just grabbed me, and did it in the nearest alleyway. It hurt so bad, and I couldn't do anything about it."

Eve was speechless. She wanted to say something helpful, but what would make it better?

"I got pregnant, but there was no way I was going to get rid of that baby, so I decided to drop out of school to raise it – my little girl. I got to about six months before she died." Kelly's eyes held a faraway look, before she snapped back to reality. "There was no point me moping around at home, so I decided to rejoin high school for junior year."

"I'm _so_ sorry, Kells." Eve reached across the table to hold Eve's hand. "If I'd have known-"

"By your reaction, I'm guessing that's not the full story going around school." Kelly allowed herself to smile. "So what have people been saying?"

"They know about you being pregnant, but they don't know much else." She paused, thoughtfully. "Surely if you just-"

"I know what you're going to say, and the answer is no. I'd rather have the degrading looks than the pitying ones." Kelly nodded, asserting her decision. "I don't need anyone feeling sorry for me; especially not girls like Maryse that I used to be friends with."

"But if you just-"

Kelly held up a hand to stop Eve. "Anyway, who told you all this?"

Eve blushed, feeling the need to defend her brother, yet not wanting to lie to her friend. "Kofi." She admitted.

"Well, maybe you should tell your brother the truth and set the record straight, before he tells anyone else." Kelly snapped, picking up her textbook, and opening it to the correct page. "Come on, let's do some work."

The girls read their textbooks in frosty silence, as each contemplated what to say next, until it was Eve that spoke first. "Do you want me to go?" Kelly watched as the brunette stood up, and put her school bag on her shoulder.

"Eve," Kelly shook her head and insinuated for Eve to sit back down. "You know what? Screw history homework. Let's just watch a movie or something."

As the girls sat down in the living room, Kelly put the DVD in the player, and turned down the lights. She wasn't focused on the film at all; she was too preoccupied by her conversation with Eve. She did her best to ignore them, but peoples' comments about her hurt, but for some reason, knowing they came from Kofi just made them hurt that little bit more.

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How will Kofi react to knowing the truth about Kelly?  
And does anyone else sense some Eve/Maryse tension?  
Please **review **:) XX


	9. You Can't Please Everyone

Hello Chapter 9, you very long update... ;)

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**YOU CAN'T PLEASE EVERYONE**

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Walking down the street towards his house, Kofi felt a wave of relief over him. As much as he was enjoying school, he loved knowing it was Friday, and that he had two days of freedom. He was very excited about the weekend ahead.

He was spending Saturday practising with the basketball team, and in the evening the guys were getting together at Ryder's house. Sunday, he and Alicia were going to the beach. That being said, Friday was his only chance to relaxed, and he planned on taking full advantage; that meant Chinese take-out and Xbox in his bedroom.

Just as he was deciding whether to call Montel and ask to borrow his latest edition of Call Of Duty, the girl he seemed to be seeing everywhere happened to appear again.

Everywhere Kofi seemed to look, Kelly was there. This time, she was sat on her front lawn, with her earphones in, listening to her iPod and enjoying the late afternoon sun. Just looking at her left a guilty feeling in the pit of his stomach. Ever since Eve told him the truth about Kelly's pregnancy, and then miscarriage, he'd wanted to tell her how sorry he was, but he wasn't sure how.

"Hey Kofi," Kelly looked up from her iPod to smile at her neighbour. Today, her blonde hair was scraped back into a ponytail, showing off her pretty facial features.

"Hey," He stopped outside her gate; this was his opportunity. "I was hoping I'd see you actually. We need to talk."

Kelly got up from the grass, and opened the gate, letting Kofi inside. "I'm starving, do you mind if I get something to eat?" She asked, not waiting for an answer as she led Kofi inside to her kitchen. Kofi watched as she dug around in her cupboards, before pulling out a bag of chips. "Did you want anything?"

"No thanks."

"Go ahead." Kelly took a seat at the table, and signalled for Kofi to sit opposite her. "What's up?"

"I wanted to apologize." He managed to say, attempting to keep some of his manliness intact. "About all those rumours."

"Why? It's not like you're the one that started them?" She shrugged.

"Yeah, well I believed them, and I shouldn't have." Kofi admitted. "I'm not a judgemental guy, y'know."

Kelly smiled lightly, placing down her packet of chips. "I never said you were."

A silence settled on the table, as both Kelly and Kofi debated what to say next. It was Kelly that was first, however she didn't speak, instead loudly, crunching down on one of her chips and causing her to grin. Kofi managed a smile, before erupting into laughter at the sight of the giggling Kelly.

"Oh God, I'm a mess." Kelly grinned, a tear laughter sliding down her cheek.

Kofi waited until he'd composed himself to say, "I'm sorry."

"You already said that," She smiled again.

"I mean, about what _actually_ happened to you." He said gently. "I don't know what to say, except that it sucks."

"It does suck," Kelly said, viciously screwing up her packet, before tossing it clear into the trash can with a smile. "But we've all got to move on. And that's what I'm doing. Moving on."

Kofi nodded a little, and watched Kelly across the table. He couldn't help but notice that she was watching him straight back, and their eyes collided somewhere along the way. He was with Alicia, and he knew he shouldn't have been feeling that way, but in that moment, something clicked.

"Are you doing anything with Alicia tonight?" Kelly asked casually, breaking the moment as she grabbed a Diet Coke out of the fridge and tossed it in Kofi's direction, before grabbing one for herself.

Kofi shook his head. "It's me and my Xbox tonight."

"This might sound lame, but I told my Mom that I'd go support my little's brothers swimming contest at the local middle school." She paused, as if contemplating whether she was asking the right thing. "Do you want to come with me? It's not a date," Kelly quickly added. "I just...wanted some company."

Kofi had some contemplating of his own to do. Was this okay? Was it right? It wasn't a date, so it was okay. But if Alicia found out, she'd be annoyed. After all, Kofi wouldn't like it if she went out with other guys...

"Hey," Kelly snapped her fingers in front of Kofi. "Sorry, but you haven't said anything in like...thirty seconds. Did you want to come or not?"

"I'd love to."

* * *

"Your Dad closed the restaurant just for us?" Maryse cooed, her fingers laced through Jack's as he helped her out of his car, and up the path towards the restaurant. Maryse grinned; kudos to Mr Swagger for being one of the top restaurant entrepreneurs in Beverly Hills.

"You look so hot tonight,"

"Thank you," Words had never been Jack's forte, however Maryse couldn't help but feel flattered, as she smoothed out the soft fabric of her glittery black dress. She definitely chose the right outfit to wear.

"Shall we go inside, m'lady?" Jack held out an arm for Maryse to link hers around, as he led her into the restaurant, which was completely lit by candles. All of the tables had been pushed to the side, except for one, which was already set up with food and drink.

"You must've gone to so much effort." Maryse cupped Jack's chin with her hand, and planted a kiss on his lips. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." Of course, Jack wasn't going to tell her that he'd had his father's waiting staff set _everything_ up. "Two years; who'd have thought we'd last this long?" He said with a smile.

Maryse couldn't help but agree. Thinking back to her first basketball game as a cheerleader, she remembered looking out across the bleachers and noticing a fellow freshman - a tall, good-looking blonde boy – performing a mean slam dunk. They'd been inseparable ever since and Maryse wouldn't have had it any other way; he was her soul mate. Sure, at times he could be a total bonehead, but no-one was perfect.

No-one except her, that is.

"I certainly didn't expect it," Maryse replied, sipping at her champagne. "But I can't imagine a life without you." Before Maryse could say anything else, the buzzing of her cell phone in her clutch purse caught her off-guard. "It's Rosa, do you mind if I take this?"

"Go right ahead."

Maryse made her way to her feet, and tottered over to the bathrooms. As cliché as it was, Jack hated to see her go, but loved to watch her leave.

He grinned; he was lucky to have a girl like Maryse in his life. She was everything he wanted – and needed. She grounded Jack, motivated him, made him strive for more. Sure, in his life 'more' meant shooting more baskets and cutting out carbohydrates to keep his six pack in check, but at this stage in his life, he didn't need pressure.

"What did Rosa want?" Jack asked, as Maryse sauntered back over to their table, a scowl on her face.

"Apparently Eve rejected the offer of sleeping at Rosa's house tonight, because she's going to a party with DiBiase and Rhodes." Maryse was furious, practically spitting out the last two names. "_DiBiase and Rhodes_? Someone needs to tell this girl who she can and can't be friends with."

Jack chuckled, "You can't do that-"

"What?" Maryse's eyes widened.

"Ryse, you know I hate those guys just as much as you do, but seriously? Eve's a big girl, and she's not gonna listen to you." Jack defended the newest cheerleader.

"I'm the head cheerleader; everyone listens to me." Maryse reaffirmed. "If they don't, well...let's just say the consequences aren't going to be good."

Jack shook his head, laughing lightly. "This is too much-" He tossed his napkin down on the table, and got to his feet.

"What do you think you're doing?" Maryse screeched.

"Getting out of here!"

"Are you breaking up with me?" Maryse followed Jack out of the restaurant.

"No. I just...I need some space. I'll call you later."

* * *

"What do we have here then?" Cody lifted the sheet off of the karaoke machine in the DiBiase's entertainment room, and smiled at he picked up the microphone. "Sing us a song, Britney."

"You're real funny, Rhodes." Ted commented, settling down on one of the sofas.

"Another Friday night in the DiBiase household, another Friday night spent with Ted contemplating the existence of his balls because he hasn't got the guts to ask Eve out." He boomed, grinning.

"Like I said, real funny." Ted said absentmindedly, as he looked up at the living room ceiling. He jokily pointed down at his crotch, "And just so you know, my balls are definitely existent. Maybe you should check yours, Jackass."

"That sounded so gay, dude." Cody laughed, sitting down in the armchair opposite Ted.

"Whatever. And actually, we do have plans tonight. Did I not tell you that Mike was having a party at his dorm room? He said we could go along."

"Sounds awesome." Cody paused, thoughtfully. "Maybe you could invite Eve along."

"She's probably doing some cheerleader stuff." Ted shrugged, coming to terms with Eve's separate life. He definitely liked her, but he wasn't going to admit that any time soon.

Cody reached over to the coffee table, and grabbed Ted's cell phone, before handing it to his friend. "There's only one way to find out." Reluctantly, Ted sat upright, and scrolled through his contacts until he found Eve's name, before dialling. It was only about three rings before Eve picked up.

"_Hey Ted, what's up?" _Eve's voice came through brightly.

"I was wondering what you were doing tonight." Ted began.

"_Well, it's Maryse and Jack's anniversary, so probably sitting around my house, waiting for one of the cheerleaders to call me up and give me a thrilling account of what happened." _Eve said, sarcastically. "_Why? Are you and Cody going to come sweep me off my feet and take me somewhere interesting?" _

"Well, Mike's having a party at his dorm room, and he said I could bring some buddies, and seeing as my 'buddies' pretty much consist of you and Cody, I wondered if you wanted to come." Ted tried to hide the hopefulness from his voice.

"_I'd love to!" _Eve squealed. "_What time are you guys picking me up?" _

"Um...eight-ish?"

"_See you then!" _She squealed once more, before hanging up the phone. Ted hadn't expected such a good reaction from Eve, and when he looked over at Cody, who had a smug smile sitting on his lips, he couldn't help but join him.

"Go reward yourself with a cigarette in my backyard." Ted laughed.

"See?" Cody got up from his seat, and walked over to the doorway, before pulling out his packet of cigarettes. "That wasn't so difficult, was it?"

* * *

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Eve called. She smoothed out her newly-straightened hair once more, before running down the stairs as fast as her heels could carry her.

Ted and Cody must've been early, as Eve was only partially ready. Her hair was finished, and her dress was on, but her make-up was only half finished. Both her parents were out at dinner with their friends, and Kofi was somewhere beyond Eve's knowledge, so she had the house to herself, pumping out music and taking up the top floor of the landing with her clothes. She'd attempted to tidy up a little before she left, but the knock at the door distracted her.

"Jack?" Jack Swagger was the last person she'd expected to see on her doorstep. "What're you-?"

"Is Kofi around?" The blonde boy asked, walking into the Torres-Kingston house, and sticking his head around the kitchen door.

_Come in, then_. Eve thought, sarcastically.

"He's gone out." Eve replied, stoutly. "And I don't know when he'll be back." The brunette paused to look Jack up and down. He was wearing a suit, but it was worn shabbily; his tie loosened, and the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up. It then dawned on Eve what night it was. "Shouldn't you be with Maryse?"

"We got into a fight." Jack announced, sitting down at the kitchen table. He looked exhausted, mentally.

"You guys haven't broken up, have you?" Eve could only imagine the uproar at school; the golden couple of Beverly Hills High breaking up? Pure devastation all around.

Jack shook his head.

"Do you want something to drink?" Eve handed Jack a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Thanks." He unscrewed the lid, before swigging the contents. "No, I just needed to get away for a bit. Maryse may be my girlfriend, but she can be so-"

A knock at the door stopped Jack mid-sentence, and left Eve frozen. Now that _was_ Ted and Cody. "Excuse me for a moment," She closed the kitchen door behind her, before once again, making her way to the front of the house. She had a decision to make.

"We've got beer!" Cody announced, holding up a six-pack as he and Ted stood on Eve's doorstep. Ted's eyes were slightly glazed over, as he took in Eve's beautiful appearance.

Eve winced, "Guys, I-"

"You're blowing us off again?" Cody yelled before Eve was even finished talking.

"Ignore him, there's a reason why our six-pack is only a two pack." Ted rolled his eyes, causing Eve to produce a beaming smile. "It's okay, I get it."

"You don't even know why I can't come," Eve winced.

Ted shrugged. "See you on Monday, Eve." Ted said weakly, before making his way back down the garden path, closely followed by a stumbling Cody.

As she closed the front door behind her, Eve slid down the wall, guilt taking over her. What was she supposed to do? Tell Jack he had to leave because she had a party to get to? That wasn't right, was it? But Ted and Cody were her friends, and friends-

"Are you okay?" Jack came out into the hallway, and noticed Eve slumped against the wall. "Do you need me to leave?"

"No, it's fine." Eve said, quickly. "Now where were we?"

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Uh oh... Trouble In Paradise... and I'm not talking Kofi Kingston :P  
Eve has some tough decisions on her hands. Is she _finally_ going to appreciate Ted?  
Are we going to see the end of Maryse and Jack? Or is this just a one-off fight?  
Is Kofi falling for Kelly?  
And will Cody ever stop being a douche?  
Subscribe and review, and maybe you'll find out next time ;)

XX


	10. She's My Cherry Pie

Hello chapter 10 :)

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**SHE'S MY CHERRY PIE**

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"Eve Marie Torres, you've got some explaining to do!"

Scarcely opening her eyes, the brunette looked up to see her mother barging into her bedroom, hands on hips and a scowl on her face. Surely it was too early for a lecture? The sunlight was gradually streaming through the gaps in her curtains; it was nine am on a Saturday morning, was her mom insane?

"Ever heard of knocking?" Eve muttered, forcing herself to sit upright, before turning to her mom. "What's going on?"

"I should be asking you the same question," Carol paused. "Imagine my shock when I arrived home this morning to find an adolescent blonde boy passed out on one of our couches."

"Firstly, he wasn't 'passed out'." Eve sighed, burying herself under the duvet. "It's just Kofi's friend, Jack."

"So how come when I went into Kofi's room this morning, he had no idea Jack was even here?"

Eve sighed again, realising she had to explain everything to her mom. Awkward times were about to ensue, as she stuck her head out of the covers. "He's my friend as well. He got into a fight with his girlfriend and came looking for Kofi. Kofi wasn't home, so we hung out."

"So nothing...happened?"

"I think Jack falling asleep fully clothed on the sofa, and me being upstairs in my PJs suggests that nothing 'happened'." Eve confirmed, burying her head under the duvet covers, as she hoped the interrogation was over. It wasn't, however, as Carol lifted up the covers, once again exposing Eve to the natural light.

"Shouldn't you come downstairs and join the boy for some breakfast?"

Eve reluctantly got out of bed, and slid her feet into a pair of fluffy slippers, before padding down the stairs, the soft soles of her shoes barely making any noise against the carpet. Her footsteps got louder as she walked across the tiles in the kitchen, and as she noticed Jack and Kofi sat at the table, eating her mom's famous omelettes, she smiled. Carol Torres wasn't much of a chef, but when it came to eggs, she had the magic touch.

"Good morning," Eve smiled lazily.

"So was I not involved in this sleepover?" Kofi grinned, nudging his sister as she stood opposite the fridge and dug out a carton of orange juice.

Rolling her eyes, Eve stuck her tongue out at her step-brother. "Jerk."

Their conversation went on for a little longer, but Jack wasn't paying much attention. He couldn't keep his eyes off of Eve. Of course, he knew she was hot, but after the previous night, he'd started to feel a lot differently about her.

Her yellow pyjama shorts showed off acres of tanned leg, and her blue polkadot tank top exposed her flat, toned stomach. Her light brown hair hadn't been attended to yet, so it was still ruffled and slept on. Her hazel eyes were framed by long, dark eyelashes and perfectly plucked brown eyebrows, and her lips were permanently in a smile, making her seem accessible, despite her super model looks.

"Earth to Jack?" When he flicked back to reality, he realised Eve was grinning at him, waving her hands.

"Sorry, I was miles away." Jack apologized, watching as Eve took a seat next to him at the table. "What were you saying?"

"I was just wondering what you guys were up to today."

"Basketball practise, all day." Kofi chipped in. "What about you?"

Eve cautious looked over at Jack. "Actually, I got a call from Maryse before I went to bed last night, asking if I could go see her today."

"Did she sound upset?" Jack asked.

"More...angry," Eve chose her words carefully, not wanting to use the word 'furious', a more accurate description of Maryse. "Anyway, I don't even know if I'm gonna go. I've got work, and she'll have Rosa, Alicia and the twins; it's not as if she'll be alone." Eve swung her legs up onto the table, so her feet were pointed at Kofi. Jack, however, just got a great view of her fantastic legs.

"I think I'm gonna get going." Jack got to his feet. "Y'know, take a shower and stuff."

"See you at practise, man." Kofi said from his seat. "Twelve o 'clock at the courts, right?"

"Right."

"I'll show you out." Eve stood up and followed Jack to the doorway. She couldn't help but notice the way he looked at her. She'd never seen him look that way before. "Well, I'll see you Monday."

"Thanks Eve." He said, slightly sadly. "For...last night. For being a friend."

The brunette smiled, and reached over to give Jack a hug. "It's gonna be okay. You guys will sort things out."

_You guys will sort things out._

Jack wasn't sure if he wanted to.

* * *

"...so then I come into my kitchen, and I see Jack sat at the kitchen table, eating omelettes and acting like nothing's even happened!" Kofi recalled his morning to the other guys on the basketball team, as they sat on the bleachers to take a break from their gruelling practise.

"I told you exactly what happened; she let me in, we talked for a little, watched a movie and then she said I could sleep on the couch, and she went up to her bedroom!" Jack explained.

"What movie did you watch?" Dolph asked, curiously.

"Does it really matter? What matters is that Jack _totally_ hooked up with Eve!" Montel called over at Jack, who was sat at the other end of the bleachers, rolling his eyes at Kofi's storytelling. The rest of the boys whooped in response, minus Kofi.

"Woo, woo, woo, you know it!" Zack Ryder chanted, only to receive a whole lot of eye rolls from his team mates. "Seriously guys, it's catchy!"

"So is chicken pox." Montel grinned at the other guys. "So tell me something," He quickly changed the subject. "Is Eve any good in the sack?"

"Dude, that's my sister!" Kofi exclaimed.

"I didn't sleep with Eve!" Jack claimed. "I fell asleep on the couch. And besides, if you'd have been home, we wouldn't have gotten into this situation in the first place."

"I'm not going to hang around at home, waiting for you to get into a fight with your girlfriend so I can let you drink beer at my house." Kofi laughed.

"Where were you anywhere?"

"I went to the gym." Kofi quickly mumbled. "It's quieter in the evenings."

The truth was he'd had a brilliant time at the junior high swim contest with Kelly, watching her little brother. The swimming wasn't exactly Olympic standard, but it was Kelly's company he'd most enjoyed. He'd ended up coming home at midnight, when after the contest, they'd gone out to Taco Bell and sat in the drive through, just listening to Train on Kelly's car radio and laughing.

"I still can't believe you left Maryse alone in the restaurant." Dolph laughed. "I would never leave dinner without a girl like that."

"You'd have to get a girl like that before you could leave a dinner without her." Jack pointed out. "And you're certainly not going to with hair like that. And besides, Maryse isn't-" He wondered whether what he was about to say was the right thing.

"Isn't what?"

He brought his water bottle to his lips, glugged down the final contents, leaving the boys in suspense, before finally saying, "Maryse isn't all she's cracked up to be."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kofi asked. He had a feeling he knew where this was going.

"At school on Monday, I'm breaking up with Maryse."

* * *

"What was that chick called last night?" Cody asked, as he and Ted scanned the aisles of their local 7-Eleven convenience store, after Mrs Rhodes asked them to run some errands.

"Which one?" Ted asked, distractedly.

"The blonde one with the impressive rack."

"Trish Stratus." Ted confirmed.

"Yeah, Trish." Cody said with a smile. "Do you think she knew that I was in high school?"

"Of course she did. She's a college senior, and you're a high school junior. She has a radar for guys like you." Ted held up two loaves. "Did your mom want white or brown bread?"

"Brown; she's big on us being healthy." Cody took the left loaf and flopped in the basket. "But Trish said I had a cute face."

"No, she said you had an adorable face, and she 'just wanted to pinch your cheeks'." Ted pointed out. "Now where do they keep the batteries in this place?"

"Aisle seven."

Both boys turned around, and noticed a very amused expression on the face of Eve Torres, who was surprisingly wearing a 7-Eleven uniform. As perfect an opportunity as this would have been to laugh at her, Ted couldn't deny that Eve worked the green and blue shirt. Besides, she was wearing a short denim skirt which made it a little better.

"Aww, food shopping together? Just get married already, guys!" Eve cooed, leaning over to pinch Cody on the cheek.

"Why does everyone keep doing that?" He hissed at Ted.

"I didn't know you worked here," Ted told Eve.

"This is only my second day. I usually work all day Sunday, but they needed me in today." Eve explained.

"Cool." Ted responded, as a frosty silence settled among the trio. Obviously the events of the previous nights still held serious tension.

"How was the party?" Eve asked, acting preoccupied by straightening out some items on the shelf.

"It was good." Ted shrugged. "It was a shame you couldn't come." He wished he knew why Eve had been so quick to turn them down after already agreeing to come.

"Sorry about that." Eve didn't want to hurt Ted by telling him the truth, so she decided to keep schtum. "I can work the Slurpee machine now. You guys want me to make you one? On the house?"

"Is that an apology?" Cody laughed, before turning to Ted. "Because I would _love_ a Slurpee."

"They're not really on the house – because I'm paying for them – but it's my way of saying I'm sorry, and I will _definitely_ be at the next party." Eve led them to the counter, as she began going to work on the machine. "That is, if you choose to invite me. Now what flavour?"

"Grape!" Cody said quickly, receiving questioning looks from both Eve and Ted. "What? We all have a favourite Slurpee flavour! Ted's is cherry." Cody informed Eve.

"Is that a cherry Slurpee for you, Ted?" Eve winked.

"I guess I could force one down." Ted grinned.

Eve leaned over the counter, until her mouth was mere inches from Ted's ear. "And for future reference, cherry's my favourite too."

* * *

Ted/Eve/Jack continues...  
But I have to say, I'm developing a soft spot for the unlikely Kofi/Kelly pairing.  
I think Cody is possibly my favourite character! Haha  
Please leave a** review** :)


	11. Killing Me Softly

Hello, new chapter :)

* * *

**KILLING ME SOFTLY**

**

* * *

**

"You let Jack stay over at your house?" Brie exclaimed, as she and Eve walked through the doors of the Beverly Hills High cafeteria. Monday lunchtime had come around, and Eve had reluctantly filled her friend in on the gossip from Friday night.

"Yeah," Eve shrugged, innocently. "So?"

"That's Maryse's boyfriend! I'm saying this as your friend, Eve; Maryse is going to kill you!" Brie's voice turned to a hiss, as she stopped the fellow cheerleader before they reached their usual table.

"We didn't do anything!" Eve replied. She didn't understand what the big deal was; it wasn't like she slept with the guy. "He came looking for Kofi, but Kofi wasn't in. So I invited him inside, we watched a movie and he fell asleep on the sofa and I went up to bed." She paused. "In my bedroom. No kissing, nothing inappropriate-"

"I believe you," Brie sighed. "I'm just...I'm not sure if Maryse will be happy."

"Maryse won't be happy about what?"

The two brunettes turned around to see their blonde friend stood behind them, a curious expression on her face. Today, her usually loose, blonde hair was scraped back into a classy chignon, showing off her sculptured cheekbones and sparkling eyes. Despite her beautiful exterior, she was still fuming over the events of Friday night.

"It's tater tots instead of salad in the cafeteria today." Brie quickly lied, to which Eve nodded along.

Maryse laughed. "Typical! Do they not realise us cheerleaders have bodies to maintain?"

"Maybe you should talk to Principal Kerrigan?" Eve suggested. Anything to keep her away from the subject of Jack. She blanked out a little as Brie and Maryse went into intense discussions about the lunch menu; if these girls cared as much about politics as they did dieting, they'd surely be eligible to run for the White House.

Eve looked over at the cheerleader's table, where the girls were currently mingling with members of the basketball team. She walked over, and took a seat between Rosa and Nikki, the latter receiving some unwanted attention from Dolph Ziggler.

"Oh, em, gee!" Rosa squealed, her eyes glued to her Blackberry screen.

"What's going on?" Brie and Maryse came over to the table.

"Guess who's coming back into town?" Another excited squeal came from Rosa. "Mike!"

"No freakin' way!" Dolph exclaimed. "Miz is back?"

There was a combination of groans from the girls, and the sound of hand slapping high fives from the guys. Eve and Kofi on the other hand, were just confused.

"Who's Mike...Miz...whatever his name is?" Kofi was the first to ask.

"Mike 'Miz' Mizanin is a legend!" Dolph grinned, excitedly. His best friend was back. "He is the chick magnet of the junior class, he's a player, he's the man! He can get any girl he wants to!"

"Sounds like a douche to me," Eve said to herself, quietly.

"I thought his parents sent him to boarding school?" Maryse queried, before filling Eve in on the subtext. "They caught him having sex with one of the Catholic school girls in his bathroom at the sophomore graduation party. They thought he had a problem and decided an all boys boarding school would be the best option."

"In the bathroom?" Eve scrunched up her face. "How classy." In Eve's opinion, this guy sounded like a total asshole. She'd met guys like him before; the guy that all the boys loved, and the girls hated.

Dolph made a 'Puh!' noise, in response to Maryse's question. "You know what a pushover his mom is; he told her he'd learnt his lesson, and she's let him come home." He turned to Rosa. "Do you know when he gets back?"

"Next Monday," Jack approached the table. "It'll be good to have my wingman back in school." The grin on his face quickly faded, however, as he turned to Maryse. She was still furious with him after their disastrous date, and they hadn't spoken since. Jack leaned over and rested a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder. "Ryse, can I talk to you alone?"

"Sure." Maryse got to her feet and followed Jack over to one of the available tables. She decided it was essential for her to keep up the Ice Queen exterior. "I take it you're here to apologize to me."

Jack had no idea how he was going to do this. "I guess leaving you at the restaurant wasn't my smartest idea-"

"It was extremely hurtful."

"Yes, and I understand that-"

"I'm just glad you've seen the error of your ways, and you're willing to accept full responsibility for your actions-"

"I'm breaking up with you."

A deathly hush fell upon their table. Jack was unsure of why he held a hopeful look on his face, as he looked across at Maryse. Her face was absolutely blank, her beautiful features holding nothing but emptiness.

"Ryse?" He needed her to something. Anything.

"Yeah?" She looked him directly in the eyes, and Jack was caught off guard to see no tears.

"I'm sorry, Ryse, I just-"

Maryse cut Jack off by simply getting to her feet, and holding a stoic expression on her face. It was better to come across as angry than to let him know that she was dying inside.

* * *

"All I ever wanted...was...to...make him..." Maryse sobbed through her words, as Rosa Mendes handed her a box of tissues. "I just wanted him to be happy!" She blubbed, before wiping at her dripping eyes. She was distraught, to say the least.

"It's gonna be okay," Rosa sat down on her bed next to Maryse, who's knees were resting underneath her chin, as she hugged her legs. When the French-Canadian told the Latina of her problem, the two had left school before the final bell had even rang, and Rosa had raided her mother's alcohol cupboard, pulling out the most expensive bottle of vodka for her best friend to drown her sorrows in.

Sure, Maryse was definitely in charge in their friendship, but she sure as hell appreciated Rosa. The two had met in freshman year of high school, and ever since, Rosa was always there with a shoulder for Maryse to cry on, or with a helpful word when the blonde was upset. Rosa was nothing without Maryse, but Maryse was nothing without Rosa. They needed each other.

"You'd better not tell anyone about this." Maryse glowered.

Rosa decided to ignore Maryse's comment, instead running her fingers through Maryse's blonde hair, soothingly. "Jack will come crawling back eventually. Next week, he'll realise he's made a huge mistake, and he'll come up with some big romantic gesture, and you guys will just...go back to normal."

Maryse began playing with the heart chain on her necklace – a present from Jack. "Well, we are perfect for each other." She smiled.

She genuinely believed that Jack was the guy she was going to marry. Maryse had it all planned out; they were both going to go to the University of San Francisco - she'd be in a sorority, him in a fraternity – and they'd both get through it together. They'd leave, get jobs, get married and have beautiful children, then grandchildren... Okay, so maybe Jack wasn't aware of this plan, but in Maryse's mind, it's bullet proof.

At least, it _was_ bulletproof.

"He didn't even give me a reason," Maryse continued. "He just...did it. No explanations-"

"That's odd." Rosa commented.

"Well, I didn't exactly give him a chance to give me a reason, because I stormed off, but I think I know why this has happened." Maryse picked up the bottle of vodka and began drinking straight from the bottle. If the break-up was going to be difficult, she wanted to numb the experience as much as possible.

"Why?" Rosa questioned, carefully taking the bottle out of Maryse's hands, not wanting to spill the liquid. Her mother would not be happy to come into the bedroom and smell the stench of vodka.

"I think he likes someone else." Maryse admitted, unhappily. It was very rare she was vulnerable, but this was a rare moment. "Like, _likes_ someone else."

"Who the hell would he break up with you for?" Rosa laughed at the absurdity of the idea.

"Eve Torres." Maryse said, assertively. "I think my boyfriend broke up with me for Eve Torres."

* * *

Uh oh... the golden couple are no more! Thoughts?  
And what about Miz? What's he going to bring to the story?  
Leave a **review** and maybe you'll find out :) XX


	12. Friends Forever

Onwards and upwards!

* * *

**FRIENDS FOREVER **

* * *

"Jack broke up with Maryse?" Eve and Alicia gawped in unison, as they gathered around Rosa's desk, fishing for gossip before Miss Crane arrived for first period history. It was the day after the break-up, and everyone wanted to know the truth.

"I can't believe it." Eve breathed. On Friday night, Jack seemed frustrated, but she never expected him to end the relationship. "How's Maryse taking it?"

"She's fine." Rosa lied, remembering that she'd agreed to keep Maryse's heartbreak a secret. "Well, as fine as you could be after your boyfriend of two years dumped you without a reason." Well, she had to make it seem realistic.

"They're the last couple I ever expected to break up." Alicia shook her head in disbelief.

"Tell me about it."

News of the golden couple's crumbling relationship was spreading around the school quickly; it was the topic of every conversation. No-one could quite believe it; it was as if a dark cloud had fallen over the usually sunny Beverly Hills High.

"So you said he didn't give her a reason? I wonder why he broke up with her."

Rosa felt the colour rise in her cheeks, as she remembered Maryse's 'theory' about Eve. "I...umm..."

Luckily, Rosa didn't have to finish her sentence, as the room fell into a silent hush upon the entrance of Jack Swagger. He took his usual seat by the window, next to Montel, and the two engaged in a conversation.

"Awkward." Alicia commented, "Do you think he's upset?"

Her question was answered by Jack erupting into laughter after a joke Montel told him. The two exchanged high fives, before turning to look at the praying eyes of the cheerleaders.

"What?" He confronted. "So I'm supposed to spend my time weeping like a baby?"

"Weeping like a baby? That doesn't sound like you, Jack." The teacher, Miss Crane, entered the classroom and sat down at her desk, coffee mug into hand to get her through the day. One of the younger members of the Beverly Hills High staff, the students were fond of her. "What's up?"

"Oh believe me, Miss, I'm anything but weeping like a baby." Jack grinned.

"That's good to hear, Mr Swagger, because you know what today is-"

"Sorry I'm late." Much to everyone's surprise, in the doorway of the classroom stood Maryse. People expected her to be a mess; all mascara tears and shapeless sweatpants, but she proved them wrong, looking as glamorous as ever in a short black dress, with a pair of sunglasses balanced on her head.

"Take a seat, Maryse." Miss Crane instructed. Instead of taking her usual seat in front of Jack, she noticeably placed herself on the other side of the classroom.

"You look great." Eve mouthed across the class, reassuringly, to which Maryse winked back, impressively concealing her inner fury.

"As I was about to say, today is the first day of our new assignment."

A collective groan swept the classroom.

"I know, I know, it's never fun, but the assignments will be done in pairs, so I guess that means half the workload." Miss Crane tried to find a positive.

"Can we choose our partners?" Rosa called out, already signalling for Maryse to come and join her.

"As a faculty, we've decided that we're going to pick your partners."

Another groan. Eve tuned out as the partnerships were shelled out alphabetically – how uninspiring. That did mean however, that Maryse and Rosa ended up together.

"...Anya Salter and Steven Smith..." Miss Crane continued reading from her list. "...Jack Swagger and Eve Torres..."

Maryse, Rosa and Alicia all turned to stare at Eve, who was in a state of both shock and mild horror. Sure, she got along with Jack, but this couldn't have been a worse time for them to be paired up. She instantly shot Maryse an apologetic look, however she wasn't sure of why. Little did she realise that Jack's feelings were the exact opposite of hers.

_This couldn't have come at a better time. _

* * *

"Dude, I am kicking your ass!" Kelly laughed, as she continued to dominate Kofi as the pair battled at Nintendo Wii Tennis.

"Nintendo Wii's are for girls." Kofi grumbled, struggling to defeat the perky blonde.

"Then you must _really_ suck." As a 'YOU WIN' sign came up on Kelly's side of the screen, she embarked on a victory dance, shimmying around her living room, before flopping down next to Kofi on the couch. "Either way, let's just establish my awesomeness."

Kofi rolled his eyes; for such a good-looking girl, Kelly could be very dorky. In a cute way. "No, you're just incredibly competitive." He had been shocked at the spunk Kelly had in her. "Besides, if we ever play Call of Duty on the Xbox, you're mine."

"Is that a challenge?" She placed her hands on her hips. "Because my brother's Xbox is upstairs and I will happily school you at Call of Duty as well!"

"God, you're terrible."

"No, I'm just kickass at video games." She grinned proudly. "Well, I only got kickass when I got pregnant."

Unsure of how to respond, Kofi decided silence was his best form of defence. Kelly's pregnancy was surely a touchy subject.

"It's okay; you don't have to act like I'm going to cry if it comes up." Kelly assured him, before smiling. "Actually, being pregnancy was kind of fun."

"Really?" Kofi had only heard horror stories.

Kelly nodded. "You can eat whatever you want and be as moody as you like, and no-one can blame you."

A chuckle left Kofi; only Kelly could find a positive in pregnancy. He knew he shouldn't have, but he loved spending time with her. When he did, he never stopped smiling, due to her infectious laugh. She was cute, and goofy, and just wanted to have fun. Plus she had a mean selection of video games.

Kelly hopped to her feet, "So what do you say about that game of Call of Duty?"

"I'd-" Before Kofi could answer, his ringing cell phone cut him off. "Hello?" He answered.

"_Where the hell are you?" _Alicia demanded. "_You were supposed to pick me up twenty minutes ago! We've probably missed the movie now, and I'm pissed off!" _

Crap. Kofi had been having so much fun with Kelly, he'd totally forgotten about the plans he and Alicia had made. How could he have forgotten? "Shit, I'll be right there." He hung up the phone and got to his feet.

"Let me guess; Alicia?" Kelly queried, pretending not to be hurt, as she placed the Wii controls back in their usual spots. Her mother was meticulously organised, and Kelly was worried she'd picked up some of her bad habits.

"I had a date with her, and I totally forgot." Kofi chuckled. He picked up his school backpack he'd left on the floor, and made his way to the front door. "Can we reschedule that Call of Duty game?" He smiled, hopefully.

"Sure," She grinned back, and he left.

Kelly walked back into her living room, and watched out of the window as Kofi made his way down the garden path, and hop over the flower beds so he was in his own front garden. He only went into his own house for a couple of seconds, as he dropped off his school bag, before making his way towards his car.

She sighed; he was a great boyfriend. It's just a shame he was with the wrong girl.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed that update! It's a little rushed, but please leave a **review** :)


	13. What We Long For

Chapter 13 :) Expect some _serious_ drama...

* * *

**WHAT WE LONG FOR**

* * *

"Apparently this place does really good steaks." Kofi commented, as his eyes scanned over the menu of The Water Vine restaurant in Beverly Hills. "Jack told me all about it; he used to come here all the time with Maryse."

This place was definitely upmarket – probably too upmarket for Kofi's budget - but it was definitely the kind of place Alicia liked going to. She was into all this fancy-schmancy stuff; stuff Kofi was still getting to know. He thought he was doing a pretty good job adapting, however.

"Steak? Maryse would have my head on a plate if I had a steak." Alicia giggled. "I'm ready to order." She lifted a hand and clicked a finger. "Waitress!"

The waitress, who was currently taking the orders of another table, left her previous table with a smile, and moved over to Kofi and Alicia. It was only when the waitress – dressed in a smart black shirt and black trousers – smiled down at the couple that Kofi realised the waitress was Kelly. Kelly didn't appear too happy to see Kofi and Alicia; however an easy smile slipped onto her face.

_She was used to putting on a facade. _

"Hi guys, what can I get you?" Kelly asked, pulling a notepad out of her pocket. Kofi couldn't help but notice the dirty look Alicia was shooting Kelly. The two girls used to be friends, before Kelly's pregnancy shunned her from the cheerleading squad, however this was beyond Kofi's knowledge.

"I'll have a Diet Coke and the garden salad." Alicia thrust her menu into Kelly's hands. "Tell the chef to go easy on the Ranch dressing. It's fat content is sky high."

"Sure." Kelly turned to Kofi. "Let me guess, full-fat coke and a steak." She smiled, remembering Kofi's favourite meal.

"You know it," He grinned, handing Kelly the menu as she trotted off to the kitchens. She knew him so well.

"She's a good guesser." Alicia muttered, before looking down at her Blackberry and continuing to talk to Maryse via text message. The blonde had a surprise in store for Jack Swagger, and Alicia wanted all the details.

Kofi, on the other hand, just wanted a conversation with his girlfriend.

Looking out from the doorway of the kitchen, Kelly's eyes connected with Kofi, as he looked absolutely bored stiff. She was still unsure as to why Kofi was even with Alicia; Kofi was so honest, so down to earth and relaxed, whereas Alicia was a total image-obsessed airhead. Kofi liked simple stuff, like playing video games and playing sports. Alicia, on the other hand, would rather be shopping on Rodeo Drive. They were total opposites.

Alicia couldn't give him what he wanted; Kelly could.

"I don't get it," Kelly's fellow waitress, Tiffany, appeared next to her, with a confused expression on her face. "Normally I hate the basketball team, but Kofi seems pretty nice; what is he doing with _her?_"

Kelly shook her head. "Tiff, I have no idea."

* * *

If there was one thing Maryse knew Jack couldn't resist, it was a scantily-clad female.

Adjusting her black bustier so it fitted perfectly, she settled herself down on Jack's bed. Luckily she'd 'forgotten' to give him back the spare key to his house that she'd always kept on her. His parents were gone all night, and Maryse knew he would be back from swim practise any minute.

Until then, it was just a waiting game.

Maryse was good at putting on a brave face, and pretending that she was over Jack. She already had a date with an eligible college freshman bachelor, but she'd have dropped him in a second, because inside, the break-up was killing her. They were perfect for each other, and everyone knew that. She still loved Jack. She wasn't ready to move on, and she was certain that deep down, neither was he.

The sound of the key in Jack's front door insinuated that he was finally home. Quickly, Maryse jumped up to check her reflection in the mirror; as usual, her hair and make-up was impeccable, and she looked knockout thanks to a last minute trip to Victoria's Secret. She lounged back down onto the bed, waiting for the bedroom door to open.

As he came into his room and noticed Maryse, a look somewhere between pleasure, surprise and horror spread across Jack's face.

"Maryse, what're you doing here?" He rolled his eyes, before unpacking his swim kit. Maryse frowned; he normally called her by her nickname 'Ryse'.

"I'm here to see you," She purred seductively, raising herself off the bed.

"Well I kind of gathered you weren't here to see my dad."

Maryse chuckled, and walked towards Jack, and moulded her frame against his, her arms wrapping around his neck. "Let's just forget everything that's happened over the past couple of days. Let's go back to being Jack and Ryse. We're good together-"

"We _were_ good together." Jack corrected, brushing Maryse off. "We were good in freshman and sophomore years, but we're juniors now, and it's time for new beginnings. I'm over you, Maryse. _We're_ over. It's time to move on from us."

The French-Canadian was stunned. Her jaw dropped slightly, as she watched Jack go about his tidying up without a care in the world.

Maryse snarled, "Did I ever mean _anything_ to you?"

Jack didn't answer, as the sound of the doorbell ringing through the house cut him off. He picked up Maryse's black trench coat which she'd arrived in, and handed it to his ex-girlfriend. "I think you should go, Maryse."

Reluctantly, Maryse put on her coat, and made her way downstairs, closely followed by Jack. As Jack opened the door, Maryse was in for an even bigger surprise.

"Eve?" The head cheerleader exclaimed, as she saw one of her friends stood in the doorway. _That_ was the last thing she expected.

"Maryse?" Eve looked just as stunned, shuffling nervously on the doormat. "What're you-"

"She was just leaving." Jack explained, before turning to his ex. "Maryse, Eve and I are studying. Remember? We're history partners?"

Maryse smirked; the Latina cheerleading upstart looked way too cute for a study date. "Have fun, children." Maryse muttered, before leaving in a blaze of silent fury.

She was _not_ going to let this one go in a hurry.

* * *

Eve couldn't focus on the history textbook in front of her. As _thrilling_ as the American depression was, she just couldn't get in the right mindset. Besides, the present day was much more dramatic than anything that happened in the nineteen thirties.

It may not have been any of Eve's business, but she thought Maryse and Jack had broken up. Why was Maryse round at Jack's house? Were they getting back together? Eve hoped Maryse didn't think there was anything going on between her and Jack. Things were so dramatic in this town, and Eve could barely keep up.

"Here you go," Jack came out from the kitchen and handed Eve a can of Diet Coke, before sitting down on the chair next to her.

"Thanks." Eve tentatively sipped it. She had lost any appetite or thirst she'd previously had. Jack bit down on his top lip, before leaning over and closing Eve's textbook. The brunette arched an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

"I just wanted to let you know that Maryse and I aren't getting back together." Jack announced, "She came round here and told me she thought we should give things another go, but I said no."

Unsure of how to respond, Eve simply nodded. "Okay,"

"I said no because there's this other girl I'm totally falling for." He admitted, getting to his feet and wandering around the dining room, as if he was gathering his thoughts. "She's beautiful, and she's smart, and she's funny, and I've never met anyone like her."

Another nod from Eve. Her stomach tightened into knots, as she had a feeling she knew where this was going. Eve got to her feet and began gathering her textbooks. "Jack, I should probably go-"

Jack had latched onto her wrist, and his available hand's fingers were looped through Eve's in a surprisingly intimate way.

_This was wrong. It was so wrong... _

"Jack, no-" She didn't get any further, as he backed her against the wall, using his hands to trap her in. Their eyes met, and without any hesitation or reluctance from Eve or Jack, the pair both reached out for each other in tandem, as their lips connected into a feverish kiss.

It wasn't about the kiss after a while; Jack's hands tangled in Eve's curly hair, and Eve's fingers moved from Jack's toned biceps, to his back, where her fingernails dug into the muscles. There was something so forbidden, so filthy about it all, but Eve couldn't stop herself...

"Jack!" She finally pulled away, and began once again gathering her belongings. "I can't do it."

"Eve,"

"No, Jack!" Before either of them could say anything else, she practically sprinted out of the house, and down the street. It was only when she felt her breath rapidly disappearing that she stopped, and knelt down on the curb, her eyes closing and her head swimming with thoughts.

She'd done something bad, and she wasn't going to forget it in a hurry.

* * *

I told you to expect drama!  
Eve and Jack? But what about Ted and Eve, I hear you ask!  
I guess you'll have to read my next update to find out... ;)  
Please leave a **review**! XX


	14. I Need A Hero

New chapter!

* * *

**I NEED A HERO**

* * *

"Everybody, I have an announcement!" Mike 'Miz' Mizanin had barely been back at Beverly Hills High for an hour, and he was already making his presence felt.

Jack Swagger may have been the King of this place, but Miz was a very close second. He had a perfect life; wealthy, divorced parents that loved to spoil him, a face that girls loved, and a cocky attitude to match. Even his brief stint at an all-boy boarding school had been successful; it just taught him that chicks dig him even when he's wearing a uniform.

Eve took the opportunity to check out this not-so-new guy; he had a reasonably attractive face, a good physique, but a slightly irritating mini-Mohawk. "Is that the Miz?" She whispered to Brie, as all the cheerleaders and basketball team gathered around to listen to the returnee.

"Yup," Brie responded. "I wonder what he's going to tell us."

Miz took a breath before beginning, "I can tell you're all _thrilled_ to have me back; this place probably hasn't been the same without me." Eve arched an eyebrow in disbelief. "And yes, the rumours are true, I _am_ back for good. Please, ladies and gentlemen, save your applause-"

"Is this guy for real?" Eve smirked, watching as he continued to talk.

"-because there's more. To celebrate my return, I will be having a party at my house tomorrow night." His news was greeted by a loud ovation. "My parents are out of town, so alcohol is expected, as are hot cheerleaders and their hotter friends. Ladies, the Miz is back, and he's better than ever!"

"You've got to be kidding me." Eve laughed, as she and Brie walked away from the now rowdy crowd, all definitely in the celebrating mood. She couldn't even put her feelings into words."That guy is-"

"He's a player and a total jackass at times." Brie chuckled. "But he can be alright most of the time. He's been one of my friends since we were kids. I remember in second grade when he used to _really_ enjoy playing kiss chase with the other girls..." Brie smiled nostalgically.

"Hey guys," Both cheerleaders turned around and saw Jack stood behind them. Both felt a certain amount of discomfort, but Eve was definitely on edge.

She hadn't spoken to Jack since their study date, and she had no intentions of doing so. She wasn't sure if she trusted herself around him; what happened between them was stupid, and she didn't want it to occur again. They'd made a big mistake, and Eve appreciated Maryse's friendship too much to let something as small as one kiss get in the way.

"Hey Jack." Brie muttered; she too was definitely Team Maryse in this fight.

"Eve, can I talk to you alone?" He turned to Brie, and said, "It's about our history project."

"Sure," Brie nodded – she'd believe anything – and made her way towards Miz.

"I've pretty much finished my part of the project." Eve began. "All I need to do now is make some notes for our presentation."

"I'm not here to talk to you about our presentation, Eve." Jack told her, leading her into a quieter part of the buzzing school corridor.

"What happened between us was a mistake, Jack." Eve hissed, angrily. She didn't want to talk about it. "We should never have kissed!"

"I like you Eve, and I meant all those things I said." He continued. "I think we'd be good together, and I want you to come to Miz's party with me, as my date-"

"Do you not understand what I'm telling you?" Eve demanded, tapping the side of her head. "Me and you; it's never going to happen! Maryse is one of my best friends, and there's not going to be an 'us', no matter how hard you try."

Jack clasped one of Eve's hands in his own. "Do you like me, Eve?"

She felt the colour rise in her cheeks, before she snatched one of her hands away, remembering they were in the hallway. "I've got to get to biology." And with that, she rushed down the hall towards her biology classroom. Eve was a couple of minutes early, and was the only one in the class, so sitting herself down at her desk, she found herself trapped in her own thoughts.

What was Jack doing? He'd _just_ broken up with Maryse, and he was already making a move. She didn't know whether he genuinely cared about her or not, but whatever was going on, Eve was put in an awkward position. They were both her friends, and either way, she was bound to lose someone.

"Someone's eager to get to class," Ted sat down next to her, a grin on his face. When he noticed her sombre expression, his smile faded. "What's wrong?"

"I hate men." Eve chuckled.

Ted winced, trying to find the right words to say. "We're not all bad?"

Eve laughed again, "No, it's not you that's the problem." She paused; if there was anyone she could tell, it was Ted. "Jack and I kissed the other night."

Ted could feel a little piece of his heart break, but he pulled it together. "But I thought he was with Maryse-"

"He broke up with Maryse because he says he's in love with me." Eve found it difficult to say aloud. Her voice faded to a whisper as members of the class began filtering in to their seats. "And I'm his partner for the history assignment, and so I went to his house to study, and one thing led to another and-"

"You hooked up?" Another heartbreak.

"No, no, God no, we just kissed." Eve said, vehemently. She decided this was not a good time to inform Ted of her ever-present virginity that everyone else in Beverly Hills seemed to have lost. "But I totally regret it."

"If you regret it, then why are you worrying?" Eve raised an eyebrow; well, it made sense in Ted's head. "I mean, if you regret it, then it's obviously not going to happen again, so you've got nothing to worry about."

"I guess," Eve muttered.

"Take it from someone who knows the guy; Jack is bad news." Ted confirmed. "We used to be friends, but then...well that's another story, but let's just say that he treats girls like dirt, and he can't keep it in his pants. He'll only hurt you, and the last person I want to see get hurt is you."

"Thank you," Eve leaned over to rest a head on Ted's shoulder. "At least I know there's one guy I can trust."

* * *

_Who exactly has a house party on a Tuesday night?_ Eve wondered, as she looked around Miz's house. The alcohol was flowing, and she could already see Brie Bella was out of her depth, waving around a now empty bottle of vodka and flashing her 'Britney' as she fell over on the floor in giggles.

Yep, this was definitely a party house.

Eve was having a good time; she'd danced with the cheerleaders, hung out with Kofi and Alicia – until their making out began to give her the heebie jeebies – and mingled with pretty much everyone except-

"You think I'd remember a pretty face like yours," The host with the most Miz smirked. "But somehow, my mind has gone blank. Care to enlighten me?"

"I'm new," Eve explained. "I'm Eve, and I'm on the cheerleading team."

"Of course you are," Miz wetted his lower lip. "Allow me to introduce myself; Mike Mizanin, better known as The Miz."

"Wow anytime you get a 'the' in front of your name, you know you've made it." Eve commented sarcastically.

Miz should've been offended, but he wasn't. "I like a girl with a sense of humour." He signalled at her empty glass. "Do you want a refill?"

"Sure," Eve nodded, watching as Miz walked into the kitchen to refresh her vodka and coke. If she was going to be here all night, she might as well have a good time. Alicia agreed to let Eve stay at her house, after Eve told her mom the pair was having a late night biology cram. Kofi was staying with Jack for 'geography extra credit'. After all, Carol Torres would not be pleased to hear her kids coming home at the small hours of the morning, dressed for a party and smelling of liquor.

"One vodka and coke," Miz handed her a drink, before sitting down next to her on the couch. "So where'd you move from?"

"Colorado." Eve replied.

"You got a boyfriend back home?"

"You're very blunt, aren't you?" Eve rolled her eyes, "But to answer your question, no, I am single."

"Good choice, being single is so much better than being in a relationship."

"I'm not looking for a relationship right now," Eve could feel the alcohol giving her a warm glow and a relaxed demeanour. "Just a good time."

Eve froze as she felt Miz's hand resting just above her knee – perhaps wearing a short dress wasn't the best idea – making her feel totally on edge.

"Miz,"

"Come on, Eve, you said it yourself; you're just looking for a good time." His words made her want to throw up.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I'm going to make out with some guy I've known for less than five minutes!" Eve exclaimed, getting to her feet and preparing to find some new company.

He followed her, reaching out and grabbing her hand and pulling her in close so they were pressed against each other. "Don't be such a spoilt sport," He whispered, his beer-tinged breath tickling her nose. "Why don't we go upstairs, and-"

"I said no!" Eve yanked her hand away, only to have it pulled back again.

"She said no." An affirmative voice from behind them said. The pair turned around to see Jack stood there, scowling in Miz's direction.

"Jack," Miz began to chuckle nervously; Eve suspected Miz feared the bigger man.

"There are plenty of girls at this party; if you want a quick fuck, go find someone that actually _wants_ to hook up with you." Jack's voice was stern and threatening, forcing Miz to scuttle away, tail between his legs.

"Thank you," Eve said to Jack once Miz was firmly out of earshot.

"He's not a bad guy; sometimes he just doesn't know when to stop," Jack explained; Miz was his friend, after all. "Are you okay?"

Eve nodded, she was a little shaken, but she'd be fine.

"Can I get you a drink?" He asked.

"Actually, I think I'd rather just go home." Eve admitted. "Can you tell Alicia that I left because I felt ill?"

"Why don't I give you a ride? I've only had one beer."

"Okay, I'll get my coat." Eve smiled. Who'd have thought Jack would be her knight in shining armour?

* * *

Uh oh, has Jack won Eve over? And where does that leave Ted?  
And Miz is certainly making his presence known...  
Anyway, leave a **review** and I'll update soon :) X


	15. It's True

Hi there, Chapter 15 :)

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**IT'S TRUE**

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**

"So how was Miz's party?" Kelly asked, placing two cartons of Chinese take-out down on the coffee table and joining Eve on the floor, as the pair painted their toenails.

"It was alright," Eve shrugged, breaking her concentration to look up at her friend. "Well, it was until Miz tried to make a move on me, even when I told him I wasn't interested."

"That guy is such a douche." Kelly rolled her eyes. "He didn't take it too far, did he? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Surprisingly enough, it was Jack that came to my rescue."

"Jack?" Kelly dropped her Deep Cherry nail polish so the brush plopped onto the magazine Kelly's foot was resting on. "As in, Jack Swagger?"

"Yeah," Eve nodded with a smile. "He was _really_ sweet. He even gave me a ride home afterwards, leaving the party early. I mean, he probably went back, but that's beside the point..."

"Oh my God," Kelly's mouth fell open. "You've totally got a crush on Jack!"

The brunette paused in thought; maybe she _did_ like Jack. He'd been on her mind since she discovered that he liked her, and it seemed impossible for her to get him out of her head. It was so forbidden for her to like him, which made him all the more intriguing.

"Eve?" Kelly waved a hand in front of Eve's face. "You're thinking about him, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not." Eve leaned over to grab the carton, and began chomping on the sesame chicken. "And so what if I like him? He's one of my closest friend's ex boyfriend; I'm not exactly going to act on my feelings, because that wouldn't be fair on Maryse-"

"You think Maryse cares about Jack?" Kelly scoffed. "She's over it; I heard she was going on a date with some college guy. In her eyes, she's moved on to bigger and better things. Jack is probably the last thing on her mind."

"Maybe," Eve said thoughtfully, however she didn't get the chance to respond, as the doorbell ringing stopped her. "Do you want me to get that?" She asked, looking down at Kelly's still-drying toenails.

"Please," The blonde smiled.

Eve got to her feet, and made her way over to the front door. She found herself shocked at the boy that was stood on the doormat. "Kofi?" She raised an eyebrow at her brother. "What're you doing here?"

Kofi didn't expect to see his sister. He could've sworn she was up in her bedroom-

"What's going-" Kelly waddled out of the living room, trying to avoid smudging her toenails, only to be greeted by the confused siblings. "Oh, hey Kofi."

"I should go," He muttered.

"Actually," Eve looked down at her watch. "I should go; I'm supposed to be having a cheerleaders meeting with Maryse and the girls; I guess I'll see you both later." The brunette skipped off down the path, and over to her own house. Neither Kofi nor Kelly said anything for a moment, as an awkward silence filled the doorway of the Carlyle house.

Kelly was the first to break the silence, "Can I ask you something?" She asked, softly.

"Sure," Kofi replied.

"Are you embarrassed by me?" She sounded genuinely hurt, and it broke Kofi's heart, because he had no idea how to respond.

He wasn't embarrassed by her; he just...the basketball team...no-one understood. Everyone just thought of Kelly in association with those stupid rumours; no-one saw what a great person she actually was. He wanted to tell them, but it was never the right moment.

"Do any of your buddies even know what we're friends?" She continued.

Reluctantly, Kofi shook his head. "You don't embarrass me, Kelly."

"Yeah? Well you've got a funny way of showing it." She muttered, before slamming the door in his way.

* * *

"Do you have a pencil I can borrow?" Cody muttered to Ted, as the pair sat in the library after school, finishing their geography project. Well, Ted was finishing his geography project; Cody was purely there to provide entertainment and dirty jokes.

"Yeah sure, I have one in my bag." Ted flung his backpack in Cody's direction.

Cody began rifling through the backpack, before pulling out a kitsch-looking floral print notepad. "What's this?" He grinned. "You keep a diary, Anne Frank?"

"It's Eve's," Ted explained, taking back his bag. "She left it in biology, so I took it. I'll give it back to her tomorrow."

"Is it a diary?" Cody asked. "Have you looked inside?"

Ted shook his head. "Dude, you don't go through a girl's stuff, it's like...unwritten girl code or something."

Cody chuckled, only to be hushed by the stressed out librarian Miss Thomas; she was a real dragon. "You guys aren't even dating and she's already got you whipped." He whispered.

"I'm not 'whipped'!" Ted exclaimed, once again, receiving a dirty look from Miss Thomas. "I'm just respectful of women."

"When are you gonna grow a set between your legs and tell Eve how you _really_ feel? Because this 'waiting game' is getting pretty boring for me, too."

"I'm not playing a 'waiting game'-"

"Then how come you haven't told her how you feel?" Ted was silent, so Cody continued. "You're obviously smitten, and she's clearly into you-"

"You think she's into me?" Ted couldn't help but grin.

"I'd put money on it. It's the Halloween dance coming up, right?" The volume of Cody's voice steadily increased as he spoke. "Show up and ask her dance, and right when she doesn't expect it, BAM-"

"Gentlemen, you're causing a ruckus!" Miss Thomas barked from her desk in her irritating, shrill, nasal voice. Ted could feel his skin crawl. "Go somewhere else to discuss whatever it is that is so disruptive, and noisy!" She wrinkled her brow.

Both boys mouths pursed into straight lines, until they were outside the library, before they erupted into belly laughs.

"Ruckus!" Cody wiped the tears of laughter out of his eyes. "Where was I?"

"Bam?"

"Right, BAM!" Cody continued. "That's when you plant a kiss on her. That'll put us all out of our misery."

Ted thought about it for a little while; if Eve rejected him, things would definitely be awkward between them and their friendship probably wouldn't last, but if she accepted? Well, their friendship wouldn't last, but something new might blossom. Was it worth the risk?

"It's worth the risk." Ted thought aloud.

"What?"

"I'm gonna do it."

* * *

After giving Brie some bullshit story about needing to deliver Jack a part of their history assignment, Eve discovered his address. He lived at 2A Temperley Grove; everyone nicknamed Temperley Grove 'Millionaires Row' because it was one of the most exclusive areas of Beverly Hills. Every house had a multi-car garage and a swimming pool in their backyard.

Eve thought her own house was big, but she'd never seen anything like this.

Walking up the long driveway, Eve felt intimidated by the large structure. It was insane. She tentatively pressed the doorbell, and a loud gong-sound rang through the house. A smile crept onto Eve's face, however it quickly disappeared when the door opened, and a petite, olive-skinned woman in a maid-like outfit answered with a curious look on her face.

"Can I help you?" _He had a maid? _She had an accent which Eve couldn't quite distinguish, possibly Portuguese.

"Hi," Eve giggled nervously. "I'm looking for Jack,"

"I call Master Swagger for you." Another nervous giggle slipped from Eve's lips, as the maid picked up a telephone and spoke through it. "Master Swagger, there is girl here to see you at door...pretty girl...yes, I ask." She covered the mouthpiece. "What is your name?"

"Eve."

"Eve." She continued. "Yes, I send her up." She hung up the phone. "I show you to his room. I am Jovita, the housekeeper." Eve followed Jovita up a long flight of marble steps, and past what seemed to be numerous doors until Jovita stopped abruptly and tapped on one.

"_Come in." _Came Jack's voice. Jovita opened the door for Eve to go inside, before filing back down the stairs.

It was pretty much your typical boy room, except it was exceptionally tidy; well, if it wasn't then Jovita wasn't doing her job right. It was painted blue, with basketball posters covering the walls, and a large double bed in the middle which Jack was lounging on, reading a copy of Sports Illustrated. There was a pleasant yet manly smell in the air, and the faint blur of rap music coming from an impressive sound system. It was like Kofi's bedroom, but much more expensive looking.

"Your house is incredible," Eve gushed, unsure of what to say in a seemingly awkward moment. "You know what our housekeeper's called?"

"What?" Jack smirked.

"Mom." She decided a joke would be the best way to soften the mood. It wasn't completely accurate, as Eve and Kofi pretty much had to look after themselves when it came to cleaning their rooms, but it worked, because Jack smiled. She sat herself down at the desk chair, and observed the bottles of aftershave that were neatly lined up.

"So what's up?" Jack put down his magazine, but didn't move off the bed. He seemed too comfortable.

"I just wanted to thank you for the other night," Eve smiled softly.

"You've already-"

"I know I've already said thank you, but I..." Eve felt _very_ uncomfortable. "You know, I'm not really sure." She blushed.

Jack got up, and sat down on the edge of the bed so his eye line was direct to Eve's. "I know what this is about." He cockily said. "You like me too, but you don't want to admit it, because there's so much baggage. And I get that, it's fine. But if I asked you out on a date-"

"I'd say yes." Eve blurted out. She knew she might regret saying it later on, but her conversation with Kelly had only given her confidence. Her voice came out quieter, when she repeated herself. "I guess I'd say yes. Yeah...I'd say yes."

Neither one said anything for a while, only exchanging wry smiles as Jovita came into the bedroom and asked if they wanted anything to drink.

* * *

Uh oh, bad timing, much? Ted/Eve, Jack/Eve... girlfriend's got some tough choices.  
How will Maryse react? And has Kofi blown his chances with Kelly?  
Leave a **review** and read the next update to find out! X :)


	16. Facing Our Fears

Chapter 16!

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**FACING OUR FEARS**

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_THE ANNUAL BEVERLY HILLS HIGH HALLOWEEN DANCE!  
__**THIS**__ FRIDAY IN THE GYMNASIUM, EIGHT TILL MIDNIGHT!  
COME IN COSTUME!  
HAVE A FANG-TASTIC TIME! _

"Fang-tastic?" Eve cracked a smirk, as she and Rosa both scanned their eyes over the poster that was stuck on the announcement board in one of the many school hallways. "Well, that's original."

"I think the nerds on the Activities Committee came up with that one." Rosa giggled, as the pair began walking over to their adjacent lockers. "So this is your first dance at Beverly Hills High, you must be excited."

"Yeah, I guess so." Eve was a little nervous; her costume _had_ to be kickass, and with only a couple of days to prepare, she was wondering how she was going to pull this one off. Back in Denver, she'd been the bell of any costume ball; her Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume had been a real hit.

"You've still got plenty more to come." Rosa added, applying lipgloss in the mirror. "There's the Halloween dance, then Winter Formal after Christmas, then the Valentines Ball, then Homecoming Weekend where all the Bev alumni come back, and we finish the weekend with Spring Fling, where the Queen is elected."

"I'm thinking that's a title Maryse plans on taking." Eve grinned.

"Well, she did last year. In freshman year, somehow, Kelly Carlyle won. But that was when she was a cheerleader, and _somehow_, everyone got behind her and she won. It was insane; a bunch of the cheerleaders went on a backlash."

"Is that why Maryse and Kelly hate each other?" Eve asked, curiously. Kelly never liked to talk about the dissolution of her friendship with Maryse, so perhaps Rosa would be the one to fill her in.

"Kind of." Rosa shrugged. "I think Kelly was always after Maryse's spot, and Maryse wasn't willing to let that happen. Kelly stayed on the squad after her win, but there was a ton of tension between her and Maryse. Then Kelly got pregnant, and everyone saw what a whore Kelly Carlyle really was."

Eve wanted to fight back, and tell Rosa the truth, but she remembered Kelly's words - _I'd rather have the degrading looks than the pitying ones_ - and decided to keep schtum, despite the irritation it caused her. Instead, Eve pulled open her locker, and noticed that on top of her textbook, a small piece of paper sat.

"What's that?" Rosa looked over Eve's shoulder.

The new girl shrugged, unfolding it and reading the familiar writing. _'Come to the dance with me? Jack XX'_ Eve instantly regretted publically opening it.

"Oh my God!" Rosa shrieked. "You and-" Before she could finish, Eve grabbed her fellow Latina by the arm, and dragged her into an empty classroom, hushing her down. "You and Jack?" She hissed.

"He likes me," Eve admitted, sitting down on one of the desks. "And I think I like him too, but I don't want anything serious, because of Maryse-"

Rosa raised an eyebrow at Eve, resting against the teacher's desk. "So it's just about sex?"

"No!" Eve quickly denied. "We haven't even been on a date! I need you to keep this a secret, Rosa; I'm gonna tell Maryse, just...in my own time. I can't exactly keep it from her, can I?"

Rosa folded her arms and huffed. Maryse was right; Jack _did_ like Eve. "Fine," She muttered reluctantly. "But you need to tell Maryse! Or else I will."

"I'm going to tell her!" Eve protested. The sound of the bell ringing forced the girls out of the classroom, as they silently made their way towards their math classroom. Eve wanted to believe Rosa when she said she wouldn't tell Maryse, but something told her that might not be the case.

* * *

Setting his lunch tray down at the table, Kofi was greeted by a couple of members of the basketball team– and Miz, who now seemed to be a permanent fixture with their group – before happily digging into his burger, and all its meaty goodness. Kofi thought back on a documentary about cafeteria food his tech teacher in Colorado showed him in ninth grade; perhaps describing the burger as 'meaty' may not have been accurate.

"Hey Kofi," Dolph was the first to break the companionable silence, "You coming to the dance this Friday?"

"I dunno, man," Kofi replied with a shrug. "Alicia's not going because her parents are taking her back to Florida to visit her family, so I'd pretty much just be stood around by myself."

"I don't have a date," Dolph pointed out.

"Maybe you guys could go together," Miz chipped in with a smirk. Kofi didn't know Miz that well, but there was something about him that he didn't like, he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Okay Wiseass, who are you going with?" Montel grinned in Miz's direction.

"This chick from the Catholic school." Miz responded, proudly, despite the fact this wasn't much of an achievement; some of those Catholic school girls were just gagging for some action. "She's called Lila, and she's a total hottie."

"You mean-" Dolph some sort of balloon-squeezing action, to suggest large breasts.

"Dude, if that's what you do to a girl, I'm glad you're not dating Eve." Kofi chuckled, exchanging a high five with Montel in the process.

"Is Eve going to the dance?" Miz cut in. He hadn't spoken to Eve since the incident at the party, but he wasn't exactly dwelling on it. If she was gonna hold a grudge, it was her problem, because he certainly wasn't. Before Kofi could even answer Miz's question, the 'chick magnet' jeered. "I didn't realise they let Skanky Carlyle back in school."

Kofi looked up from his burger to see Kelly sat on a nearby table with a couple of less popular girls; the blonde looked up from the book she was reading to see the prying eyes of the basketball team on her. She looked genuinely hurt; however she hid it behind her book.

"Miz, don't bother," Kofi muttered.

"What're you talking about? She loves it!" Miz jeered, getting up and walking over to Kelly. "You'll have anyone, won't you Kells?" He tucked a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear, making her skin crawl.

"Get lost," She said, although her voice was barely audible.

"That's not what you were saying at the freshman homecoming-"

"That's enough!" Kofi got up from his seat, and stormed over to Kelly and Miz, literally removing Miz's hands from Kelly. "She told you to get lost."

"What do you care, Kingston?" Miz raised an eyebrow.

"I care..." Kofi valued Kelly's friendship too much to upset her anymore. "I care...I care because Kelly is my friend." He didn't care that people on nearby tables were watching him; they weren't important in that moment. A smile was forming on Kelly's face.

"You're friends?" Miz looked disgusted. "But she's-"

"She's fun, and nice, and she's hilarious," Kofi interrupted, looking down at Kelly in her seat. "And that's why I'm friends with her." He squared up to Miz, so the pair were face-to-face. "You got a problem with that?"

Miz didn't say anything. Instead, he grabbed his backpack from the table, and stalked out of the cafeteria, scowling even more than before. He didn't need to say anything; his silence said it all.

Kofi turned back to the basketball team. "You guys got a problem?"

None of them said anything, until Montel spoke up. "It's cool, man." It was nice to know he had someone's approval. Kofi turned around to talk to Kelly, but the table was empty. Was all that for nothing?

* * *

Sitting herself down on a dry patch of grass in the school courtyard, Eve knew it was now a case of waiting. It was after school, so the campus was pretty quiet, except for the odd filter of students coming out of extra-curricular clubs. Eve had just finished giving a freshman girl Spanish tutoring – it looked great on college applications – and the library was closing soon, meaning Maryse would have to follow her out.

It was time to tell Maryse and her and Jack.

There were butterflies in Eve's stomach. She pressed down on her abdomen in an attempt to stop them, but that didn't work. She wasn't scared of Maryse, but the head cheerleader's approval had become more and more important to her, and dating Maryse's ex boyfriend would not gain her the approval she wanted.

"Hey, Maryse!" When Eve noticed the blonde exiting the library, she leapt to her feet to greet her.

"What're you doing here?" The blonde raised a questioning eyebrow at Eve, as she continued to walk out towards the parking lot, where her black Mercedes was parked. "You need a ride?"

Eve tilted her head in thought; Kofi had taken their car, and she _could've_ made her own way – it was only a twenty minute or so walk – but this seemed like the perfect opportunity for the pair to talk. "Sure, that'd be awesome."

Neither one said anything, as they got into the car, put their seatbelts on, and as Maryse started the engine. The silence was soon stopped by the sound of Destiny's Child come on the radio. Eve got serious flashbacks to her childhood, and dancing with her best friends Louise and Danni to 'Say My Name' or whatever other song that was popular at the time.

"I need to talk to you," Eve eventually said, her eyes focused out of the window. She wasn't sure if she could look at Maryse.

"Oh yeah?" The blonde didn't sound too bothered, grabbing a pair of sunglasses out of the glove compartment to shield her eyes from the late afternoon rays. "What about?"

"Jack."

The car grinded to a halt, despite being in the middle of a road. A couple of the cars behind beeped their horns, so Maryse made the wise decision to pull over at the side of the road. Eve thought she was going to have a heart attack, however despite her rash actions, Maryse seemed cool.

"Jack?" She repeated calmly.

"Jack and I...we're going to the dance together."

There, she'd said it. It was out in the open, and if Maryse had any problems with it, she could talk to Eve about it. She couldn't quite distinguish the look on Maryse's face; it was part disbelief, part horror, and part amusement. There was no real way of describing it, because Eve had never seen anyone look so confused in her life. Eve wanted to say something, but what could she say that would make this moment less awkward?

"Maryse?" Her voice came out as little more than a whisper, as the sound of traffic whizzing past them screeched over her.

"Mmm?" Maryse shot Eve the most insincere smile the brunette had ever seen.

This was not going well. "Maryse, if this makes you uncomfortable, then I won't date Jack. Being your friend is way more important to me than dating Jack-"

"Don't be silly!" Maryse cackled, starting up the car again and continuing to drive. "You're welcome to Jack! I've moved on. Didn't I tell you? I'm dating a guy from USC; a _college_ guy. I've moved on to bigger and better things! Don't worry about me, Eve. I'm fine."

"Really?" Eve smiled hopefully, as Maryse pulled up outside Eve's house.

"I mean, if sloppy seconds are your thing-"

"Sloppy seconds?" Eve exclaimed. That was _not_ cool.

"Eve, I'm kidding," Maryse grinned, leaning over to give her friend a kiss on the cheek. "I'm totally kidding."

And so she kept up the bullshit for a little longer; Eve invited Maryse into her house, and the pair chatted about the upcoming dance, and the upcoming pep rally. As if nothing was wrong. It was only when Maryse got out of the house and back into her car that she could allow herself to be angry. Of course she was furious; Little Miss Perfect Eve was now taking her boyfriend from her. She still loved Jack, and deep down, she knew that Jack loved her.

Eve and Jack wouldn't last; Maryse would make sure of it.

* * *

Uh oh... Maryse is _not_ happy.  
The next chapter is set at the Halloween dance, so read the next update to see where we go from here!  
Please leave a **review** :)  
Also, I've begun a new fic named 'Caught In A Moment' - a Ted/Maryse fic. Please take a look and tell me what you think!


	17. Dancing With Myself

Chapter 17...

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**DANCING WITH MYSELF**

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The gymnasium of Beverly Hills High was packed to the walls with students, most of which had made an effort to look remotely costume-y. Eve was impressed; she hadn't expected such a good turnout. Everyone around here seemed 'too cool for school' and she hadn't expected costume parties to be their thing.

As she walked into the gym with Jack, Eve felt oddly reassured.

"Shall I go get us a couple of drinks?" Jack asked, placing a hand on Eve's upper arm. He looked so suave; apparently he was James Bond, but Eve thought he just wanted to look cool in a tuxedo. He'd been a perfect gentleman to her; he'd picked her up from her front door, and drove her to the dance.

So far, so good.

"That'd be great," She smiled as she watched Jack walk towards the refreshment table.

Looking around for people she knew, Eve managed to spot a couple of the cheerleaders. Rosa was a sexy vampire in fake teeth, a short red dress and a black cape. Both Bellas wore black veils over their faces, beaded crop tops and long skirts, in what looked to be belly dancer costumes. And Maryse? What else but a French maid in a black bustier dress with white lace trim, fishnet stockings and a small white fluffy duster.

"Well, _that's_ a kickass costume if I ever saw one." Miz approached Eve and couldn't help but admire the ninja costume she'd worked so hard on. In all honesty, she's found a sheet of leather in the garage and made it into a short dress, with a pair of silver shorts underneath, but it had turned around very well. The black boots, gloves, headband and of course, the sword, were just touches.

"Thanks," Eve smirked at Miz's 'Pimp' costume. "You don't look so bad yourself."

"I like to make an effort on Halloween." He shrugged. "And there aren't many other opportunities when I'm gonna get to wear a long leopard-print coat and get away with it."

"Good point."

"I came over because I wanted to apologize, actually." Miz said to Eve. "I'd had a lot to drink, and my behaviour was out of line. Can we just...put it behind us, and forget about it? Fresh start?"

There was still a certain amount of tension after Jack's party, however Eve believed in politeness. She was sceptical, but she saw no point in holding grudges. "Okay," She nodded, and held out a hand for Miz to shake. They shook hands and both smiled. "I'm Eve." She grinned.

"I'm Miz." He replied, and they couldn't help but laugh. "This a little bit lame, isn't it?"

"Totally," Eve rolled her eyes, and felt Jack come up behind her and place a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, you." She turned to her date. "I wanna dance, and you have no choice but to be my dance partner."

Jack held up his hands, "I have to warn you, I'm not much of a dancer-"

"Don't worry," Eve winked, taking Jack's hands in her own. "I'm good enough for the both of us."

* * *

Sat on the bleachers, Kelly observed her classmates.

_They all look so happy._

And here she was, sat on the bleachers with a face like a slapped ass. She hadn't even really wanted to come; it was only thanks to much persuasion from Eve that she agreed to go. Now she was here, she was regretting even bothering.

"Look who's sat here alone," Kelly looked up and saw Maryse was walking up the steps of the bleachers, and took a seat next to Kelly. "What a surprise, no-one invited you!" Kelly scowled; she hated Maryse. She _really_ hated her. The once best friends were now bitter enemies, and it was all because of Maryse's bitter jealously.

It wasn't Kelly's fault. In freshman year, Kelly won the title of Freshman Homecoming Queen, and Maryse resented her for that. Kelly didn't even think she'd get nominated; people just seemed to prefer her because she was friendlier than Maryse. Ever since Kelly's win, Maryse pretended not to care, but everyone knew it tore the head cheerleader up inside. Kelly's pregnancy just gave Maryse a real reason to hate her.

Kelly didn't really care; good riddance to bad rubbish.

"So how's the white trash lifestyle working for you?" Maryse continued, scathingly. She was in a terrible mood; this was the first dance she'd been to without Jack as her date, and it made her miss him even more.

She decided to change the subject, "If you're _so_ much better than me, then why are you here on the bleachers with the rest of the 'losers'? I thought you were dating some college guy; where's he?"

Maryse huffed. "Jared couldn't make it." The truth was, she hadn't even mentioned the dance to him. She was too embarrassed to ask if a _college_ guy wanted to go to a _high school_ dance. He'd probably have laughed in her face.

"If he goes to college, why would he want to come to a high school dance?" Kelly thought aloud.

Maryse's thoughts exactly.

"Hey guys," Coming up the steps of the bleachers towards the two blondes was Kofi, looking slick in a cop outfit. Maryse expected him to be greeting her, but his attention was fully on Kelly. She'd heard about Kofi's outburst in the cafeteria, sticking up for Kelly. What was he doing?

"Where's Alicia?" Kelly asked. The way she was looking at him...it was the way Maryse looked at Jack.

"With her parents in Florida." Kofi replied. "I'm dateless for the night."

"That makes two of us," Kelly giggled. Maryse sighed; had she become invisible?

"Well...why don't you come dance with me?" Kofi suggested. "You know what they say about cops and sailors!"

"No, I don't, actually." Kelly smirked.

"Me neither, I was hoping you did." He grinned. Kelly was looking pretty sweet in her sailor outfit; a short blue dress with a large white collar, and a sailor cap on her head. "Just dance with me." He held out a hand, which Kelly accepted, and he led her to the dance floor. All Maryse could do was watch as Kofi rested his hands on Kelly's waist, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, and they swayed to 'Come Back Down' by Lifehouse.

They were way too close for Maryse's liking.

"Have you seen this?" She pulled Rosa away from Zack, and pointed at Kofi and Kelly.

Rosa's red lips formed the shape of an 'O'. "But Kofi's with-"

"Exactly." She scowled. "Kelly Carlyle must be _really_ happy with herself."

The truth was, Kelly was anything but happy. Here she was, dancing with the boy she'd fallen for, but it meant nothing. It meant nothing because he was taken. Kelly could feel tears forming in her eyes, and she rested her head on Kofi's shoulder so he couldn't see her. Kofi wasn't hers, and no matter how much she wanted to change that, she couldn't.

* * *

"Dude, I told you this place would be lame." Cody sighed, as he and Ted walked into the hall. There wasn't much time left, only about forty-five minutes, because Ted had spent so long persuading Cody to come, they'd missed over half the dance. "Everyone looks lame."

"No, Cody; _you_ look lame because you're the only one not wearing a costume." Ted rolled his eyes at his friend. "You could've done _something-_"

"Fine, I'm dressed as you." Cody was wearing a pair of jeans, sneakers and a leather jacket. "Happy?"

"You're a douche." Ted wasn't even sure if he wanted to be here; he never went to school dances, because they were so full of fake happiness, but this was different.

"Ted!" Eve ran up to the two guys, and gave each one a hug in turn. Ted was purely here for Eve; he needed to tell her how he felt, and how better to do it than dressed as GI Joe?

"Cody, it looks like you came dressed as-" Eve eyed him up and down, unimpressed. "-well, you came dressed as Cody. But Ted, you look awesome." She let her gaze wonder over Ted; he looked fantastic in khakis; he definitely had the body to pull it off. "Love the Action Man look."

Ted looked over at Cody who was stifling his laughter by biting down on his finger. "It's actually GI Joe." GI Joe sounded much better. Ted took in Eve's costume. "You look great, too. We could do some serious ass-kicking together-"

"Eve, what're you doing over here?" Jack approached the threesome, and shot Cody and Ted dirty looks. "Let me guess; Action Man and Barbie."

"GI Joe and Cody Rhodes, actually." Ted responded bleakly. He _hated_ Swagger with a passion, and wondered why Eve was hanging out with such a douche. "Are you guys here together?"

"Yeah," Jack said defensively. "You got a problem with that?"

Ted and Jack stepped towards each other, and Eve felt slightly worried that a fight was going to break out, yet slightly intrigued as to who would come out on top. She knew however, that wasn't the sensible thing to do. "Jack," She grabbed him by the hand. "Just leave it." She shot Ted an apologetic look, before pulling her date onto the dance floor.

"For what it's worth, I think you could've taken him," Cody nudged his friend,

"Yeah, well that's not going to get me Eve, is-" Ted didn't finish his sentence, as Jack pulling Eve in for a kiss on the dance floor stopped him in his tracks. He didn't get easily upset, but that hurt.

"Dude, I'm sorry," Cody muttered, unsure how to console his friend.

"Whatever, you were right, this is lame. Let's just go."

* * *

I think this is the worst chapter I've wrote, because I totally rushed it (but when it comes to writing, I'm very critical of myself...)  
Poor Ted - and what does this mean for Eve/Jack?  
Leave a **review** and keep reading! X


	18. No Rest For The Wicked

Ahoy, chapter 18 :)

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**NO REST FOR THE WICKED**

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"You here to see Eve?" Since arriving at Beverly Hills High, Kofi had never spoken to the aloof Ted DiBiase, so when he saw him stood on the doorstep, Kofi knew he wasn't here to see him. They had little connection, other than Eve.

"Yeah, is she in?" Ted asked, quietly. He felt like a nervous schoolboy, which in essence, he was. He'd never been to Eve's house before, and he'd totally forgotten about Kofi.

"She's just through there," Kofi signalled into one of the rooms, before deporting back up to his bedroom to go back to bed. It was a Sunday morning, and the last thing he cared about was some guy trying to flirt with his sister.

Unsure as to why he felt so nervous, Ted tapped on the door of the living room, before opening it to see Eve, sat cross-legged on the couch, eating grilled cheese sandwiches and watching the TV, which blared out into the room. Even in no make-up, sweatpants and a tank top, she still looked better than most girls.

He took a moment to watch her, as she threw her head back in laughter at Joel McHale, until she turned around to look at him. "Ted, what're you doing here?" She looked pleasantly surprised, and she got to her feet.

"I've got something for you," Ted removed his hands from behind his back to reveal the notebook he'd been looking after for Eve. "You left it in biology."

"Oh my God!" She leaned over to kiss Ted on the cheek, before flopping back down on the couch and flipping through the notebook. "You're amazing! After I lost it, I went to back to the biology room, but it wasn't there, so I went to lost and found, and when they didn't have it, I gave up." She didn't even notice the pink spots that had formed on Ted's cheeks. "You're a lifesaver!"

"Must be important."

"Not really, it's just my organiser; it's got dates, and events in." She shrugged, placing it down before looking shiftily at Ted. "Why? Were you tempted to read it?"

"I wasn't, but Cody wanted to."

"Well, Cody's not much of a gentleman, but you certainly are." She paused to take a sip of her coffee. "Speaking of not being a gentleman, I'm sorry about the other night at the dance, and you know, the way Jack acted." She shook her head. "He was just...well, I don't know, I can't make excuses for him, but-"

"Don't apologize, Jack's a douche." Ted grinned, sitting down next to Eve. He liked her house; it was big, but there was something warm and homely about it. "Why were you at the dance with him anyway?"

Eve sighed, dreamily. "He likes me Ted, and after the dance, he asked me on another date." She paused. "I like him to, and I think I could be onto something."

Ted mentally groaned. Seriously? An amazing girl like Eve was interested in an arrogant prick like Jack Swagger? She could do a lot better – whether it was Ted or not – but she was settling for someone way below her. Good people like Eve did not deserve guys like Jack; in Ted's eyes, they were the scum of the earth.

"I get that you don't like Jack, but I do." She began, "I'd love it if you guys could at least be civil to each other, because if he becomes a part of my life, I want you guys to get along. I like him, and you know I think the world of you..." _She thinks the world of me?_ Ted thought with a smile. He didn't realise how much Eve liked him – even if it was purely as a friend. "So can you guys try to get along?"

Through his teeth, Ted said, "For you, I'll do anything."

* * *

"Florida was awesome and everything, but...I can't believe I missed the dance," Alicia sighed, flipping through her copy of _Vogue_, as she and Maryse sunned themselves on the loungers in Alicia's garden. "How was it?"

The truth was, it hadn't been the best night for Maryse. For the first time in years, she hadn't been the centre of attention, and she didn't like it. Being the only cheerleader without a date had definitely got to her; she ended up feigning a headache and going home early, before sticking her copy of _A Walk To Remember _in the DVD player. She _hated_ feeling sorry for herself. "It was okay." She lied.

"I'm sure Kofi missed me," Alicia said with a smile that verged on cockiness.

Maryse bit down on her lip; there was something she saw before she left the dance that had stuck with her throughout _A Walk To Remember_ and all day Saturday. Kofi and Kelly were dancing together most of the night, but it wasn't even the slow dances that made Maryse suspicious; it was the way they smiled each other, and the way they could have fun, and be comfortable together. She wasn't an idiot; the beaming smiles were not something Maryse had seen on Kofi and Alicia.

"Hey, so what's going on between you and Jared?" Alicia asked, pushing her sunglasses on top of her head and turning away from her magazine to look at Maryse.

"I don't know," Maryse shrugged. "There's no chemistry between us." Jared was hot, and that body..._wow_, but he lacked personality, and his bedroom skills had not lived up to Maryse's expectations. Besides, revealing she was a high school junior was enough to make Jared run a mile. She just...'forgot' to tell him.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. Maybe one day you'll find a guy you connect with, like I've found in Kofi." Alicia gushed, before turning back to her magazine.

The smug, lovesick look on Alicia's face made Maryse was to gag. "Speaking of Kofi, I didn't realise he and Kelly Carlyle were so close."

"Kelly Carlyle?" Alicia practically spat out the orange juice she'd just sipped. "They're not close-"

"Oh really?" Maryse twisted her lips into a confused pout. "Because they were hanging out together at the dance, and they seemed _pretty_ comfortable together."

Maryse could sense Alicia's boiling blood; that'd teach her to flaunt her 'perfect' love-life.

* * *

"So the dance was cool, right?" Miz passed Jack the basketball and watched as the blonde made a clear shot from the other side of the court. The beautiful Sunday sunshine was shining down into the backyard of the Swagger household, as the two boys played Jack's favourite game on their private court.

"Thanks Jovita," Jack called, as his housekeeper placed two icy water bottles down by the bench, before heading back into the house. He turned back to Miz. "Yeah, it was awesome. What happened between you and that Catholic chick? What was her name, Libby-?"

"Lily." Miz corrected, picking up one of the bottles and drinking from it. "Actually, no, she was called Lila. And what do you think happened? I tapped that bitch in the back of my car!" He noticed Jack's disapproving eye roll. "Don't give me that look! You're hardly an advertisement for teen celibacy! You and Maryse were at in like rabbits half the time!"

"Whatever," Jack couldn't resist a smile, dribbling the ball back onto the court. "But I'm not with Maryse anymore, am I?"

"Oh yeah, the beautiful Eve." Miz remembered, still holding a soft spot for the brunette. "So who's better in the sack? Eve or Maryse?"

Jack laughed, "Actually, so far, it's Maryse, because Eve and I haven't got there." Miz's jaw dropped. "What? Not all of us bang chicks before dessert has arrived!"

"Really?" Miz smirked.

"Not anymore, anyway." Jack defended himself. "Eve seems a little more...reserved. She doesn't seem like she'd be down for it straight away." Jack liked Eve, and he didn't want to mess it up by being too pushy with her.

"Well, if Eve decides you're not giving her what she wants, tell her she can call me," Miz grinned, only to have a basketball thrown in his direction, which he missed.

"There's obviously a reason you're not on the team." Jack ran over and took the ball.

"So when are you gonna get it on with Eve?" Miz carried on his favourite topic of conversation.

"We're going on a date Tuesday night, so maybe then?" Jack replied. "Only if Eve's down for it though; I'm not gonna force her into sex."

"Was that cheap shot at me?"

"No, a cheap shot would be this," Jack dribbled circles around Miz with ease, before dunking the ball in the basket. "Maybe Montel should reconsider that 'MVP' nickname, because I'm gonna be scoring more than baskets soon enough."

* * *

And the love triangles continue... :P  
Also, I've got a sequel planned for this story, and it'll involve most of the same characters  
- I'm not going to say who, because that could give away the story -  
But, it'll be set in the summer break. So who'd be interested in reading it?

Hope you enjoyed, and please leave a **review **:)


	19. Behind Closed Doors

Enjoy chapter 19!

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**BEHIND CLOSED DOORS**

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**First period gym class was over, and there was a buzz in the locker room as Eve's upcoming date with Jack was the topic of conversation. A huddle of girls crowded around the brunette, begging for details.

"_Have you guys kissed yet?" _

"_Where's he taking you?" _

"_Have you been tweeting each other?" _

Eve felt herself smiling. "He says he's surprising me, so I'm totally out of the loop. Honestly, he could take me to Chuck-E Cheese and I'd be happy." The girls, on the other hand, didn't look so impressed.

"Please! This is Jack," Rosa slipped her gym t-shirt over her head and replaced it with a ruffled red blouse. "I hardly think he's gonna take you to a fast food joint!"

"There's a new restaurant open on Robertson; maybe he'll take you there." Brie suggested.

"Maybe." Eve said. She still wasn't entirely accustomed to this lifestyle; she was pretty low key, and going to a fancy place may have been ideal for some, but not for her.

Rosa smiled cheekily. "And perhaps after dinner, you'll finish up with desert at Jack's house." She licked her lips and shook her hips cheekily, before rifling through her locker for the rest of her clothes.

"I doubt it-"

"Oh come on, I would." Nikki giggled. "Everyone knows Jack's the hottest..."

Nikki continued to talk, but Eve just blanked out. Was she the only girl in the junior class that _still_ had her virginity intact? In Denver, being a virgin wasn't a big deal; actually, only a small minority of girls in her class had lost theirs, but round here, sex on the first date was of the norm. Eve understood doing it with a boyfriend, but she and Jack had only been out together once, and she wasn't willing to give herself to him without even knowing anything about him.

"Anyway, good luck tonight, Eve." Brie blew Eve a kiss, before she and Nikki headed out of the locker room. All the other girls had gone, and it was just Rosa and Eve left.

"Hey," Rosa turned around to look at Eve. "Are you okay? You seem a little-" She wrinkled her nose. "I dunno; are you nervous about tonight?"

"A little," Eve replied, sitting down on the bench. What she was about to tell Rosa would definitely get back to Maryse, Eve knew that, but she needed a little help. "Rosa, I'm a virgin."

Rosa froze for a second, but she didn't seem shocked. She shrugged, and said, "I kinda guessed." She paused, before quickly adding. "Not that that's a bad thing."

"I don't want to have sex," She admitted, "I mean, I do, just not tonight. Maybe once I've got to know him a little better, but-"

"It's okay," Rosa reassured her. "Jack's not gonna force you to do anything you don't want to."

"He's not gonna think I'm...?" Eve's voice faded off, as she looked for the words to say; immature, inexperienced, frigid, or maybe that she just wasn't interested in him – which she definitely was.

"It's not about what Jack thinks of you," Rosa told Eve, as the pair left the locker room and made their way towards their math class. "It's about what you think of yourself. If you don't want to have sex yet, you shouldn't have sex yet. If you're gonna have sex, you've got to _want_ it, and you have to be ready for it. It's not for anyone else to decide."

For a girl that thinks salt water burns, Rosa could be surprisingly wise.

* * *

Walking down the corridor towards the girls' bathroom, Kelly was, as usual, deep in thought about Kofi. Ever since the dance, she wondered where she stood with him. They were good friends, she knew that, but was it possible that he felt _something_ else for her? The way he looked at her; that couldn't be purely platonic. Everytime they played Xbox together, she wanted to put down the controller and kiss him, and whenever they had a conversation, she just wanted to tell him how she really felt.

"Love sucks." She muttered, looking at her reflection in the mirror, her voice echoing around the empty bathroom. "You're crazy; he's got a girlfriend." She shook her head, before walking into one of the stalls.

"_Stay away from him." _A voice from outside the cubicle told her in a harsh tone. Kelly didn't even realise anyone else was in the bathroom.

"What?" Kelly laughed out of pure nerves. "Whoever this is-"

"_Kofi has a girlfriend, so stop being a little hoe, and stay away from him._"

Kelly's eyes flicked to the gap between the bottom of the door, and the tiles on the floor, trying to observe the feet. She saw bare, caramel-coloured ankles and feet in pair of black thong sandals, topped off with painted red toenails. The ankles quickly disappeared.

Walking out of the stall, Kelly looked around the now empty bathroom.

"Alicia?"

* * *

"I'm serious!" Eve laughed, clutching her stomach. "I'd show up at ballet every week in a swimming costume, because my mom thought the leotards were provided! All the other girls would be in baby pink, and there I was in turquoise, with a dolphin across my stomach. Everyone thought I was taking Swan Lake a little too literally!"

"Stop it!" Jack hollered with laughter, as he stopped at a red light. "You're too much, Eve Torres, you know that?"

She felt a smile creep across her face; all in all, this had been one of the better dates she'd been on. It had been a lot more fun than Eve had predicted; she'd laughed a lot. It was as she'd expected, he'd taken her out for a meal at a nice restaurant, and all it took to break the tension was one of the waiters spilling Eve's pasta all over his shirt; after that, it was smooth sailing.

"So what about you?" Eve asked, as the car started moving again. "Any embarrassing basketball stories? Did your mom forget to wash your uniform so she forced you to play in a pair of Speedos?" Eve grinned.

"That would be impossible; I don't think my mom's ever done laundry in her life."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about Jovita." Eve smiled. "Must be real nice to have someone that does all your chores for you."

"I guess so," Jack shrugged, focusing out on the road ahead. "To be honest, I've never known any different. Jovita's always been around, and my parents have never really forced work on me. They say as long as I get the grades and keep up with the basketball, then I'm doing well for myself."

"My parents think chores equal responsibility," Eve rolled her eyes. "I clean my room, I wash the dishes every night, and on top of my 7Eleven job, Kofi and I have to clean our car."

"It must be nice to have Kofi around," Jack commented. "You know, having someone around that gets you."

"We're pretty tight. Are you an only child?"

Jack nodded. "And my parents are gone at work most of the time, so it's pretty much me and Jovita. Plus her English isn't the best, so the conversation could be better." He paused. "I guess that's why I throw myself into basketball and the social scene so much; my friends are my family."

For the first time since arriving in Beverly Hills, Eve had found vulnerability in someone of such a high status. Jack was lonely, and he just wanted people around to make up for his parents' absence.

"Your parents seem cool; you're lucky." He continued, before cracking a smile. "Not to mention your mom's kinda hot."

And the moment was gone.

"My mom is _not_ 'hot'!" Eve laughed. Her mom was reasonably attractive, but hot? No way. "Kofi's mom's pretty hot."

"I've never seen Kofi's mom before, and I always forget you guys aren't blood-related." The car stopped outside Eve's house. "What about your dad and Kofi's mom? Are they back in Denver?"

Eve winced.

"Sorry. Sensitive subject?"

She had to get used to talking about. "Actually, I have no idea about my dad. He was around for the first few months of my life, but after that, he just left, leaving my mom and me alone. I can't remember anything about him, and frankly, I don't think I ever want to. Then again, I doubt he wants to see me much either."

"He sounds like a jerk." Jack said softly. "Anyone that doesn't like you must be."

"Thanks."

"So what about Kofi's mom?"

"She's a journalist, Angela Kingston, and she travels a lot. She still talks to Kofi by email and telephone, but because her life is so hectic, she's happy for him to live with his dad."

"So do you get along with your stepdad?" Normally, all of these questions would have irritated Eve, but there was something about Jack that made her feel comfortable. He was sweet, and he genuinely seemed interested in her.

Eve nodded. "I like him. He's pretty cool." Neither of them said anything, and it wasn't long before Jack leaned in to kiss her.

In her whole life, Eve had only kissed two guys. Firstly there was ninth grade Spin the Bottle with Liam Wesley, on his living room floor at his birthday party. Then there was her freshman year boyfriend of four months, Colby Sutton. Colby was sweet, and kind, but when the spark goes, the spark goes. Besides, Colby never kissed her like this.

It was at a slightly awkward position, as the gear stick dug into Eve's stomach, but Jack made up for that. His left hand was resting at the back of her neck and his right on her waist. His kisses made Eve go light headed, and made her forget that life outside this car existed, however she soon snapped back to reality.

The hand resting on her waist slid under her shirt, and massaged the bare skin. His other hand barely flicked at one of her shirt straps, forcing the flimsy material to slide down and expose one of Eve's lacy bra cups. She could feel her heartbeat increase rapidly.

"I...I should go." She stuttered, fumbling with the door handle and freeing herself from the car. Halfway up the path, and turned around and saw Jack was no longer there. Pulling her key out of her handbag, she readjusted her clothes, before letting herself into her house.

"Did you have fun, sweetie?" Carol called from the living room, above the blare of CNN.

"Yeah!" Eve's voice came out high and squeaky. She went into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. With shaky hands, she took it up to her bedroom and closed the door behind her.

"You've blown it, Eve." She muttered to herself.

...Has Eve blown it with Jack?  
And what about Alicia knowing about Kelly's crush? Will Kofi find out?  
Please **review** and read the next chapter! Xx


	20. What Is This Feeling?

Whey, chapter 20!

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**WHAT IS THIS FEELING?**

* * *

There was a feeling of heavy swelling around Eve's eyes, and her brain felt like mush; she had only got a couple of hours of sleep, all thanks to her non-stop worrying. The thought that she'd blown everything with Jack was absolutely crushing. Plus, if anyone at school found out that she'd practically ran away from Jack Swagger, she'd be humiliated.

Maybe he didn't even care anymore.

After all, he hadn't even said goodbye. He just...drove off. Granted, she was the one that bolted out of the car at light speed, but maybe if he'd have at least shot her a 'What the hell are you doing?' look, she'd have been a little more reassured. All she knew was that she wasn't in the mood for school. Scrambling out of bed, she made her way downstairs.

"I don't feel well," She moaned at her mom, who was preparing breakfast whilst occasionally flitting over to the kitchen table to send an important email on her laptop.

Carol reached over to feel her daughter's brow. "You don't feel feverish." She took a moment to analyse her daughter's appearance. "But you do look pretty ill. This isn't about your date last night, is it?"

"Nuhuh," Eve shook her head weakly. "I just feel really awful. I only got like...two hours of sleep, and I can barely keep my eyes open."

"What classes have you got this morning?"

"Art, biology and gym." Eve responded, the side of her head rested against the table.

Carol sighed. "I guess I could swing back here at lunchtime and see if you're up for going into school then. In the meantime, go back upstairs and catch up on some Zs."

"You're the best, Mommy," Eve cooed sarcastically, before sloping back towards the staircase.

"School's the opposite way." Kofi commented as he came down the stairs, crossing paths with his step-sister.

Eve didn't even have to energy to respond to his smartass comments. Instead, she went back into her bedroom and buried herself under the covers, attempting to clear Jack from her mind.

* * *

"-and I said to Brie and Nikki, I don't care if it's their dad's birthday, there's no way they're eating anything but side salad at that birthday buffet." Maryse told Rosa, as the two sauntered into their math class ten minutes late. "We have the basketball game this weekend, and they're not going to fit into the new uniforms if they're pigging out on burritos-"

"Girls, why are you so late?" The math teacher, Miss Winters said timidly from the front of the room. She was new at Beverly Hills High, and was a fish out of water. She was a nice, Midwestern girl from Wisconsin, and somehow, she ended up teaching in one of the most exclusive areas of California; she couldn't help but feel intimidated. Even the pupils held a certain superior presence above her.

"My car broke down." Rosa lied, as she sat down on a desk behind Maryse. The blonde turned around to continue her conversation, "Now Nikki and Brie are kinda pissed off, but-"

"Girls, I'm trying to teach a lesson!" Miss Winters stood up, but she still sounded desperate. Maryse took a moment to analyse her teacher's choice of apparel; an a-line black skirt, and a white shirt, with a colourful sweat vest over it. She was only about twenty-five, yet she looked like a middle-aged Sunday school teacher. Maryse didn't even want to get started on her glasses-

"Calm down, Miss, we said we're sorry." Maryse rolled her eyes, and pulled her math textbook out of her handbag. She glanced over to the other side of the room, where a bored-looking Jack sat, his pencil rested in between two fingers, as he chewed on the edge of it. How was it possible that such an unattractive thing could turn her on so much?

"Excuse me, Miss Winters?" There was a tap on the door, as fellow math teacher Mr Johnston stuck his head around the classroom door. "I've got to pop out, and I need you to cover my class." Yes, the veteran teacher was definitely taking advantage of the new, naive woman.

"But Mr Johnston, I've got a class-"

"They're juniors; they can get on with some work for a couple of minutes." Mr Johnston and Miss Winters both looked at the class reluctantly, however before Miss Winters could argue back, he was already gone.

"I..." Her voice trailed away, as she looked hopelessly around. "If someone could hand out the sheets on my desk, I'll be back in a couple of minutes." She shot a suspicious look in Maryse's direction, before exiting the classroom.

"So anyway," Maryse turned around to speak to Rosa. "I heard-"

"Hey," Both girls looked up and saw Jack was stood in-between their desks. Maryse found herself entranced by him; all he had to say was 'hey' and he could've had her there and then in the middle of the classroom. Of course, that would be totally inappropriate.

"Have either of you seen Eve today?"

Both shook their heads. "Maybe she's ill." Maryse shrugged; she honestly couldn't give a crap about Eve Torres anymore; the only reason she was still on the team was because she was a good cheerleader.

"Didn't you guys have a date last night?" Rosa queried; Maryse's ears pricked up.

"Yeah, we did."

"How was it?" Maryse asked curiously.

"It was...good." He knelt down, and rested his elbows against Maryse's desk, but there was something in his eyes that seemed to suggest that 'good' wasn't the right word. "The date was...good."

"Just good? What happened?"

"After the date...she got all..." He wrinkled up his face. "Weird. It was really strange. We kissed, but after that she kinda just-"

"Eve's a virgin." All eyes swivelled in Rosa's direction, as the Latina covered her mouth with her hand, realising what she'd just revealed. The stunned silence between the trio told her she'd made a big mistake, but it wasn't like she could take it back.

All of a sudden, Maryse burst into laughter. Her eyes widened, and she began cackling. Rosa had never heard Maryse laugh in such a way, and the look on Jack's face told the whole story; fear, confusion, bewilderment...it was all there.

"Oh...my...God, she's a virgin!" Maryse spluttered, banging one of her fists against the table. "That's hysterical!" Rosa raised an eyebrow at Jack, and he returned with one of his own.

It wasn't that funny.

* * *

"_I missed you today in biology," _Ted chuckled down the phone line._ "I was forced to partner up with Rosa, because Alicia was away, so I was busy mixing acids by myself._"

"I thought you said you were with Rosa." Eve said, as her duvet covers made a tent around her.

"_I was, but would you honestly trust Rosa with a bottle of sulphuric acid?" _

"Good point." She smiled. She'd spent the day in bed, trying to recover from her own misery, and there was no better recovery than a long chat with Ted. He knew exactly how to cheer her up; lots of sarcastic comments about other people, and anecdotes about some stupid comments Cody had made. "So I didn't miss much, then?"

"_Only me,_" He was so cheeky, Eve couldn't help but find him cute.

"Aww, Ted, you know I miss you when you're not around." She cooed. She knew if Cody heard them talking like this, neither of them would live it down. "So what're you up to for the rest of the day?"

"_Well, Cody suggested we bring you stuff and come cheer you up." _

Eve's heart melted a little. "For future reference, I read Vogue and I enjoy Butter Fingers and Cherry slush's."

"_Duly noted." _

"Excuse me," Eve's phone began ringing in her pocket, and she pulled it out. She had two messages; one from Jack saying '_We need to talk'_ and another from Rosa saying _'I'll explain tomorrow XXX'. _

"_You still there, Eve?" _

She could vaguely hear Ted's voice through the phone, but she suddenly felt more ill than ever. "Can I call you back?"

* * *

I wonder what he wants to say to her... ;)  
This was pretty much a filler chapter, but ah well. I think it'll suffice.  
Also, I've just started using my twitter again, and this is the link - .com/xmelissaah  
Please leave a **review** :) Xx


	21. You're So Naive

Chapter 21...

* * *

**YOU'RE SO NAIVE**

* * *

It never got cold in California, but as November faded in, there was a definite breeze in the air. Kelly pulled her jacket around her tightly, shielding herself from the wind. Her mom was covering the night to morning shift at the hospital where she worked as a nurse, and it was Kelly's car she took with her. Now, Kelly had to wait around for her mom to come home and return what was rightfully hers; hopefully with a full tank of gas as an apology.

"You're gonna be late if you don't get a move on," Kofi called from his driveway. "What're you doing?"

"My mom's shifts are so inconvenient, and she should be getting back from work soon." Kelly rolled her eyes. "Her car was in for repair, so she took mine, but she's late."

"You need a ride?"

Kelly had felt awkward around Kofi ever since she'd spoken – if you could call it that – to Alicia in the bathrooms at school. If anything, Kelly had doing her best to stay away. "It's fine, I can walk to-"

"Kells, we're late enough as it is." Kofi chuckled, holding open the car door for her. "Come on, get in."

Reluctantly, Kelly stepped over the flowerbeds that separated them, and got into the car. "Thanks. So where's Eve?"

"She had a cheerleading practise and Maryse made them go in at like, seven thirty. My dad dropped her in on the way to work." He started up the car. "I've barely spoken to you recently; it's like you've been avoiding me." He was only joking, but it was the truth. Alicia had made Kelly so uncomfortable that Kelly had been intimidated. Too scared to talk to one of her closest friends.

"Definitely not." Kelly said with a smile. "So how're you and Alicia?"

Kofi pursed his lips. "We're fine." He occasionally wondered if that was the case, but it wasn't like Kelly cared. "I've been invited to hers for Thanksgiving."

"That's nice." Kelly commented, wistfully. "Normally it's just me and my brother eating a turkey dinner, minus the turkey."

"Why's that?"

"My mom works the Thanksgiving shift because it's extra cash. We may live in Beverly Hills, but we're not rolling in money like the Swagger's, or the Fox's," Kelly explained, carefully. "When I'm not in school, I work down at 7Eleven. I was the one that got Eve that job. My brother works too; he's had a paper round for years. We're a family, so we work together."

"I didn't realise things were so difficult."

"Not difficult," Kelly mused. "Just never easy."

* * *

Closing her locker with a hearty sigh, Eve piled her history binder into her bag and made her way down the hallway towards class.

She was exhausted; after receiving a call from Maryse to tell Eve that there was cheerleading practise before school, she'd managed to catch a ride with her dad, however it was pointless anyway. When Eve arrived, she got another call from Maryse, telling her it was a false alarm. None of the other girls showed up, and something told Eve that Maryse wasn't happy, and Eve knew there was nothing worse than an irate head cheerleader.

If Maryse was uncomfortable with Eve and Jack's relationship, Eve would rather have known about it, instead of being subjected to bitchiness. Friends came before guys in Eve's eyes and she wasn't going to go back on that.

She hadn't seen anyone in a while; it turned out karma was a bitch, because the day after feigning illness, Eve _actually _came down with the flu, and had missed four days of school. With her good health back in check, she was ready to face school.

"Hey guys," Eve slipped into the empty desk in front of Maryse and Rosa, before turning around to talk to her fellow cheerleaders. "What's up?" She noticed Jack sat on the other side of the room with Montel, but she decided to stick with the girls.

"We were just discussing Christmas." Rosa looked confused, until Maryse nudged her hard in the ribs. "You know, what with the holidays coming up.

"I remember those nativity plays we did at elementary schools." Rosa commented, checking out her manicure.

"Oh yeah," Eve smiled fondly, remembering her carefree days. "I was one of Gabriel's angels. I was so jealous because my friend Casey got to play Gabriel-"

"Really?" Maryse arched an eyebrow. "I'd have had you down as more of a...Virgin Mary."

"I'm sorry?" A confused Eve was caught off-guard, until the guilty look on Rosa's face told the whole story. "Wow, thanks Rosa." She said sarcastically.

Maryse didn't care; she was grinning like the cat that got the cream. "Sorry Eve, I didn't realise your _virginity_ was such a big secret." Her volume increased, until she knew Jack was looking in their direction.

"What do you think you're doing?" Eve hissed.

"It's okay to be a _virgin_, Eve." Maryse's voice was dripping with sarcasm. Worse than sarcasm, it was pitying, and patronising. "Loads of famous people are virgins. Like the Jonas Brothers-"

"Shut up!" Eve slammed her fist down on her desk.

"Touched a nerve, have I?" Maryse smirked. "Well, it's not like you've been touched anywhere else-"

Eve didn't want to listen to anymore. She got to her feet, and bolted out of the classroom, leaving all of her stuff behind. It was as if she were sprinting from her troubles – Maryse – and it was impossible for her to stop running; her feet were outrunning her body, and she was moving faster than she ever had before. That was until she reached the courtyard and collided with some innocent passerby.

"Whoa!" She flew back onto the grassy ground, and looked up. It was Ted. She'd just steamrolled into Ted.

"What's going on?" Ted asked, kneeling down next to her.

There was some attempt from Eve at formulating words, however all that came out was a tearful croak, and she burst into tears. Why had she let Maryse get to her?

"Shh, it's okay," Ted leaned over and wrapped his arms around her. It was comforting; his arms were strong and supportive, as one of his hands rubbed circles across her back, and the other stroked her hair. She allowed her head to nestle into his neck, so she could smell his cologne.

"I'm such a mess." Eve burbled, wiping her eyes. "Oh God, I'm probably covered in mascara, aren't I?"

Using the tips of his fingers, Ted gently wiped underneath Eve's cars, before smearing any black excess over his jeans. "Doesn't matter, you're still beautiful." All Eve could do was smile; he was such a gentleman. "So what's wrong?" Ted asked, examining Eve's sad features.

"Ted, I'm a vir-"

"Eve," They both looked up and saw that Jack was coming into the courtyard. Ted knew his time with Eve was gone. "I can take it from here," Jack told him, coolly.

Ted simply shot Eve a look, as if to ask if she was going to be okay. In response, Eve nodded, and kissed him on the cheek, before he left the courtyard. His ego was bruised, but he had received a kiss from Eve. That had to be worth something.

Jack held out a hand and pulled Eve up off the ground, and led her over to a nearby bench. "Maryse was out of line back there."

"It's fine," Eve forced herself to smile. "If you don't want us to see each other anymore, I get it. It's fine-"

"No, it's not." Jack replied. "Eve, your virginity doesn't bother me. If you want to have sex, that's great, but if you don't, that's alright too. I'm not gonna cry over it." He chuckled. "And neither should you."

"You still want to be with me?"

"Of course," He laughed again, resting his hand on her knee. She noticed he moved it no further north. "I just wish you'd have told me on our date, because then I wouldn't have come across as such a jackass pervert-"

"I think I was the one that came across worse. I jumped out of your car like there was a bomb onboard." Their laughter faded away, and Jack leaned over to tenderly kiss Eve on the lips. She pulled away smile. "I do want to have sex with you," She admitted. "Just not yet."

"All in your own time, Eve." He said, before looking down at his watch. "We should probably get back to class."

* * *

"-so they come back into class together, holding hands like love's young dream! As if nothing even happened!" Maryse furiously recalled, as she recapped what Alicia had missed in history. School was over, and the two girls were making their way out to the parking lot towards Maryse's car. "Jack is not going to last without sex, he's an animal in the sack. Seriously, what does he see in her?"

"I like Eve." Alicia said, however she wasn't really listening to what the head cheerleader had to say. On the other side of the parking lot, a petite blonde was waiting outside the reception area for someone, as she occasionally looked down at her watch.

Kelly Carlyle was _not_ going to steal her boyfriend.

Alicia observed the blonde's appearance; she'd certainly regained her pre-pregnancy body, as showed off in a pair of white, low-rise skinny jeans and a cropped black blazer which hugged her upper-body. She was an attractive girl, surely she could find her own boyfriend, and not Alicia's? It was rare that Alicia felt so vulnerable.

"Eurgh, just look at her." Maryse scoffed, as she followed Alicia's gaze over to Kelly, who was talking to Evan and Drew, a couple of guys from her class. "What a hoe." Maryse looked around, before lowering her voice and saying, "You spoke to her, didn't you?"

"Sort of." Alicia replied, getting into Maryse's car.

Maryse had suggested that Alicia confront Kelly face-to-face, however Alicia wasn't Maryse. She didn't have her confidence, so she chickened out, and threatened Kelly through a bathroom door. It was the wimp's way out, but it was effective. Kofi hadn't brought Kelly up in days, and everytime Kelly looked in Alicia's direction, her eyes were instantly averted.

So if she'd got what she wanted, why did she feel so guilty?

* * *

Okay, so on my profile, it says I'm taking a hiatus, however I will still attempt to update. It just won't be as regular as it usually is.  
Hopefully you still stick with the story because you like it!  
Anyway, please leave a **review** :) Xx


	22. Falling Slowly

Chapter 22...

* * *

**FALLING SLOWLY**

**

* * *

**

Eve was exhausted.

It was a Saturday, and for the first time since she'd started working in 7-Eleven, she was rushed off her feet. They'd had a new delivery of Slurpees, and it was as if the Beverly Hills Junior High kids had some kind of Slurpee radar, as there were crowds of them, pouring into the store. Luckily, Eve had Kelly there for moral support, as it was very overwhelming.

"I'm home!" Eve called out, as she came into the entrance of her home, and placed her jacket on the coat rack. "Is anyone home?"

"We're in here!" Her step-father's voice flooded in from the living room. There was a definite smell of fresh coffee, and Eve followed the smell. Shocked was an understatement, as Eve saw her mother and Andrew sat on the sofa, opposite a surprisingly comfortable-looking Jack.

"Jack, what're you doing here?"

"I didn't realise you were working," He began, putting his coffee cup down on the table. "So I came round to see if you wanted to do something-"

"-We told him you'd be back soon, and that he could wait around." Carol was smiling warmly at Jack. "I must say, Eve, you've got yourself quite a catch here."

"Mom, do _you_ want to date him?" Eve felt the colour in her cheeks rising. She was partially embarrassed, but Jack seemed so laid-back about it that it didn't bother her as much.

"Maybe if I was thirty years younger," Carol got up from the sofa and signalled that Andrew followed her. "We'll give you kids some peace." She gathered up the coffee cups and left.

Sitting down on the sofa, Eve gave Jack a quick kiss on the lips. "Sorry about that."

"No problem, your family are cool." He nodded, easily. "So do you wanna catch a movie or something?"

"Sounds awesome," Eve agreed, before pinching at her polyester shirt. "Do you mind if I get changed out of my uniform first? I hate this shirt."

"Go ahead."

"You can just wait and watch TV or something-" The sound of a car pulling up outside made Eve look out of the window. "Or Kofi's here. You can talk to him." She gave him one more kiss before skipping upstairs.

Looking around the living room, Jack was impressed. Sure, it was no Swagger mansion, but it was a sizeable house. That wasn't even what impressed Jack; Eve had a family that really cared about her, and their house felt like a home. Just from talking to Carol and Andrew, Jack could sense they were proud. Even Andrew – who wasn't even Eve's real father – spoke of his step-daughter with such pride.

"Hey man," Jack looked up and saw Kofi was stood in the doorway of the living room. "What's up?"

"I'm waiting for Eve. We're going out and she wanted to get dressed." Jack felt awkward; he and Kofi were good friends, but they never spoke of Jack's relationship with Eve. It was taboo or something. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Kofi sat down on the arm of the opposite sofa.

"Do you have a problem with me dating Eve?" He instantly regretted asking this. "Because I care about Eve a lot, but I don't want things to get weird between us-"

Raising a hand, Kofi stopped Jack before shrugging, "It's fine." And he was. Jack and Eve seemed pretty happy together, and his sister's happiness was his main concern. "Just...make sure you're good to her. Eve's a great girl, and she deserves a great guy."

"I know." Jack smiled. "Believe me I know." He knew this was getting way too sentimental for either of them, so he quickly changed the subject. "So, are you coming to practise tomorrow?"

"Yeah, it's ten o'clock on the outside courts, right?" Kofi confirmed. "So where are you and Eve going?"

"Just to the movies. Zack pretty much slammed Iron Man 2, but I wanted to see for myself." He grinned; Ryder's word was often wrong. "What're you up to tonight?"

"Not much." Kofi was planning on inviting Kelly over to eat Chinese and watch his Sons Of Anarchy box set – she'd never watched it, and he thought it was the best show on TV – but Kofi decided to keep that secret. This cheerleading-basketball circle was a close one, and word would _definitely_ get back to Alicia. "Maybe I'll watch Sons of Anarchy."

"You ready to go?" In the doorway, Eve appeared wearing a pair of tight jeans and a floral top. She held out a hand for Jack to take, before they were said their goodbyes and left Kofi.

Making his way up to his bedroom, Kofi threw himself onto his bed, his heading crashing against his pillow. He dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out his cell phone, beginning his text. _'S.O.A & Chinese... what do you think?' _He sent it to Kelly.

Two minutes later he got a response. '_Is that a good idea?'_

'_What do you mean?'_

'_I dunno if Alicia would be too happy'_

'_We're just friends'_

'_I'm not sure Alicia sees us that way.'_

Kofi decided not to text back.

* * *

Pushing his way through the crush of bodies, Ted made his way over to the refrigerator to get himself a beer. He'd managed to get his brother Mike to invite him and Cody to Mike's best friend's birthday party, but he couldn't help but feel bored now he was here. Mike had slunk off to one of the bedrooms with his girlfriend, and Ted hadn't seen Cody since he tagged on after a group of drunken college chicks went off to buy beer. All Ted wanted was to be back at home, or at least to be in the company of someone he actually liked – this, of course referring to Eve, however he wasn't exactly going to admit that.

"Someone looks a little down." Ted was no longer alone, as the spot next to him was now filled. Short and slim, the attractive blonde had long curly blonde had, streaming down her back and small eyes that were outlined with electric blue eyeliner. She was the same age as Mike, as Ted remembered briefly speaking to her at Mike's high school graduation. Back then, she smelt of flowery perfume, now it was beer and cigarettes. "You're Ted, right? Mike's brother?"

"Yeah," He confirmed. "We met at his graduation, but I can't remember your name."

"Rachel." The blonde smiled. It was difficult for Ted to avoid the fact she was the exact opposite of Eve. Eve was tall, tanned, curvy and brunette, whereas Rachel was petite, pale and blonde. Rachel pulled a packet of cigarettes out of her skirt pocket, and offered one to Ted.

"I don't smoke," He shook his head, before making his way outside for some air. He didn't expect her to follow, but she did, lighting a cigarette as she did so.

"You look a little down." Rachel repeated, tucking her hair behind her ears. "What's wrong?"

"You really wanna know?"

"We've all got problems." Shrugging, she sat down next to Ted on the grass. "Like, earlier on tonight, I caught my boyfriend making out with some high school tramp." She began tugging at innocent stems of grass. "I don't think I've ever been so humiliated."

Thinking for a moment, Ted pursed his lips, before letting a smile spread across his mouth. "There's this girl I like. She's called Eve, and she's nothing short of perfect."

"So ask her out."

"I wish it was that simple; she's got a boyfriend." Ted screwed up his paper cup and threw it across the lawn. "He's the captain of the basketball team, and he doesn't understand her. He doesn't _get_ her like I do." Ted paused and winced. "Y'know, for a little while, I was stupid enough to think she liked me back. But she likes Jack, not me."

"She'll learn the truth." Rachel observed, resting hand on Ted's shoulder. "If he's not the one for her, she'll work it out. Girls are intuitive like that, and she'll come looking for a guy that _does_ care about her." Waggling a finger in Ted's direction, she mouthed 'you!'

"Please," He scoffed. "What would a girl like Eve want with a guy like me?"

"_My thoughts exactly." _

Realising they weren't alone, both Rachel and Ted turned around to see the figure of a French-Canadian blonde walking towards them. And Maryse was not alone; she had Miz by her side.

"You again?" Rachel hissed at Maryse before telling Ted, "_This _is the skank that made out with my boyfriend."

Maryse simply rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She cast her glance over to Ted. "Who'd have thought the outsider with fall for the cheerleader? How cliché."

"You don't know what you're talking about, Maryse," Ted muttered.

"Well, I think I do, seeing as I've been stood here long enough to hear you whine and moan." There was a knowing smirk on her face; as if she was fully aware of the damage she could cause.

"You can't tell her." Ted made his way towards the demonic duo. "You'll be hurting her just as much as you're hurting me."

"Even better."

"Face it, DiBiase." Miz spoke up. "Eve is fast becoming one of the most popular girls at Beverly Hills High, and she's only been here for two months. Soon enough, she's not going to care about you, and all your going to be known as is her desperate admirer. The guy that could never have her-"

Ted wanted to be able to ignore it, but instead, his fist connected squarely in Miz's face, causing the self-proclaimed Chick Magnet to tumble back onto the ground, nursing his now split lip. Rachel grabbed Ted by the collar of his shirt, pulling him away.

"He's not worth it." She looked him in the eye. "You're better than that!"

"What's going on?" Ted's brother Mike ran out of the house and ran towards Ted. He looked down at the fallen Miz and put the pieces together. "Dude," He lowered his voice. "I pull strings to get you invited, and you show me up like this? What's the matter with you?"

"Mike," Rachel said, "Ted was provoked-"

"I'm outta here." Ted held up his hands and began walking down the road. Eve didn't even have to be around to be a huge part of his life; she was an addiction he just couldn't shrug.

* * *

Hmm... where are we gonna go from here?  
Is Maryse going to tell Eve about Ted? And I'm sure Miz won't react kindly to being embarrassed...  
And what about Kofi and Kelly?  
Leave a **review** and enjoy the next chapter!


	23. Christmas Eve

Chapter 23, Hola :)

* * *

**CHRISTMAS EVE**

* * *

Christmas' in Denver were always incredible.

Eve would wake up with snow surrounding her home, and with the smell of turkey wafting into her bedroom. For the rest of the morning, presents would be opened, and the turkey would in carved in time for lunch. Then, afternoon would arrive, and Eve, Kofi, Carol and Andrew walk trudge downtown through the snow towards Carol's parents' house, where the whole family would meet, and celebrate Christmas together. They'd walk back to their house in the evening, and settle down on the couch with DVDs and hot chocolate before going to bed with stuffed stomachs.

But this was Beverly Hills, and there was certainly no snow.

On the contrary, Eve woke up feeling hotter than an oven. She tossed off her duvet covers and pulled open her curtains, letting the sunshine stream into her bedroom. Eve didn't feel festive just yet. Before she could go downstairs, her cell phone began ringing. "Hello?"

"_Merry Christmas._" It was Jack. Eve put him on speaker, as she got dressed out of her pyjamas.

"You too," Eve smiled. "How's your Christmas going so far?" There was a knock at the door, and Eve hushed Carol as she came into the room.

"_Pretty lame so far._" Jack admitted. "_My parents took a last minute 'business trip' to Bali, so it's just me and ESPN today." _

"What about Jovita?" Eve mouthed 'his housekeeper' at Carol.

"_My mom told her she could go back home to Portugal for the holidays_."

Eve felt her heart break a little bit. "That's terrible."

"Jack, it's Carol, Eve's mom." Carol piped up. Eve instantly regretted being on speaker phone. Listen, I'd hate for someone to be alone on a day like today. Why don't you come and spend Christmas at our house?"

There was a short silence, before Jack said, _"I couldn't ask that of you-"_

"Christmas is a time to be with those you love, and if you can't be with your family, you may as well be with your best friend and your girlfriend. Besides, we've got plenty of food to go around. Come on, you can't spend Christmas alone."

"_Thanks, that's real generous of you_." Jack sounded genuinely grateful.

"Come by in an hour," Carol instructed, before Eve hung up her phone. "You're welcome," Her mom winked, before leaving the room and going downstairs, where Kofi was already gnawing his way through one of Carol's famous gingerbread loaves.

"This is good stuff," He said through a mouthful of food. For one day, he could let his basketball diet go, and just eat whatever the hell he wanted. "Thanks Carol."

"Save the eating for later. I'm busy in the kitchen, so the least you can do is take out the trash." She replaced the gingerbread loaf with a bag of garbage. Lazily, Kofi got to his feet, and made his way outside the house and over to the trash can. The sun was shining down on him, and as nice as the weather was, it just didn't feel like Christmas.

"Merry Christmas."

Turning around, he saw that Kelly was walking down the path towards him, looking festive. A red Santa hat sat on top of her blonde head, and she wore a red skirt with a black tank-top.

"Merry Christmas to you," Kofi responded walking over to her, yet not daring to cross the flowerbeds. He watched as she placed her own garbage bag in the bin, before returning to her previous spot. "Looks like we've both been put on trash duty."

Kofi hadn't spoken to Kelly for a while. They exchanged awkward 'hellos', but it never came to anything. Kelly implying that there was something wrong with their friendship had sent Kofi on a guilt-trip. He was with Alicia, and that was that; he had too much love for her to do anything to jeopardise that.

"So how's your Christmas so far?" Kelly asked, breaking the silence.

"It's good." Kofi nodded. "I've already eaten half a gingerbread loaf and I haven't even opened any presents yet."

"Gingerbread loaf? Sounds yummy." Kelly commented. "You'll have to bring me some at some point."

_Did she feel just as awkward as he did? _"So what about your Christmas?"

"It's actually really nice." Kelly's smile widened. "My mom managed to take the day off work, so it's the three of us together." Neither one said anything, until eventually Kelly rolled her eyes, as if bored of the awkwardness. "Whatever," She muttered, before sloping off inside. "Merry Christmas, Kofi."

* * *

"We have no wieners."

The way Carol announced this; it was as if she was announcing the outbreak of war. Her eyes widened, and her mouth drooped open.

"So?" Eve shrugged, cutting up vegetables.

"I wanted to make pigs in blankets." Carol sounded so disappointed, Eve couldn't help but smile.

"No big deal, we'll just skip them out this year." Normally, Carol would've served food at lunchtime, but the addition of Jack meant she was going to push it back until the evening.

"I want everything to be perfect. After all, we have guests here," She tweaked her head in the direction of the living room, where Jack and Kofi were attempting to teach Andrew how to play one of Kofi's new Xbox games. It was then Carol shot Eve a pleading smile.

"No." The teenager responded; she knew _exactly _what her mom was thinking. "Are you serious?"

"Come on, the store's open on Christmas day, and it's just down the road. You don't even have to take the car."

"Fine," Eve sighed, before going into the living room and lightly tapping Jack across the back of the head. "Get up, lazy bones. We're going to the store." He was so comfortable he wanted to put up a fight; however he decided against – seeing as this wasn't his house – and followed Eve out of the house.

"Thanks for inviting me today." Jack told Eve, as the pair walked together hand-in-hand to the store.

"Hey, don't thank me, it was my mom that offered."

"Yeah, but I can't do this to your mom." He stepped out in front of Eve and leaned in, gently kissing her on the lips. He pulled away a couple of seconds later, "Well, I could, but it would be really weird." E

Eve giggled; she had a tenancy to do that a lot when Jack was around. He made her feel like a school girl with a crush on the most popular boy in school, which, in all honesty, was what she was; he knew how to make her feel special, and feel wanted. They'd overcome any problems put in front of them so far, and as they chatted comfortably on their way to the store, Eve couldn't help but feel relaxed.

"This is the part where we split." Eve told Jack, as they entered. "You take aisles one to six, I'll take seven to twelve." She gave Jack one last quick kiss, before heading off in search of wieners.

Eve thought of what all her friends would be doing this Christmas; Maryse was spending the holidays back in Montreal with her family, whereas Rosa and Alicia were sunning themselves in San Mateo, and Tampa. Nikki and Brie were staying in Beverly Hills. In fact, Eve had met up with the twins for some last minute Christmas shopping the day before. If she had to choose her favourite members of the cheerleading squad, it would be the twins. They were sweet, harmless-

"It's a bit late to be getting a turkey," An amused voice from behind Eve told her. She expected some sarcastic cashier – bitter at being forced to work Christmas Day – but instead, she was greeted by Ted.

"Oh my God!" Eve chuckled, throwing herself into her friend's arms. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"My mom forgot cranberries, which are seemingly the be-all-end-all of our meal." Ted said, sarcastically. "What about you?"

"Wieners." Eve was still grinning at her pleasure of seeing Ted. "We're both on store duty, aren't we?"

"It looks that way doesn't it?"

"Eve, I found the-" Jack came round the corner, holding the bag of wieners, but he was even more shocked at what Eve had found. Jack knew all about Ted and Miz's brawl, but he decided to keep it from Eve; there were some things his girlfriend didn't need to know. "Merry Christmas, Ted." He also remembered his girlfriend's wishes for the two of them to get along. Despite not liking it, Jack knew there was nothing he could do.

"Merry Christmas, Jack." Ted responded, just as courteously.

"We should probably get going," Jack touched Eve's upper arm. "Your mom will be wanting to make a start on the pigs in blankets."

"Sure," Eve reached over to kiss Ted on the cheek. "Merry Christmas, sweetie." She winked, before walking towards the tills.

Ted shook his head in despair, and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. "Hey Mom, what was it you wanted me to pick up?" He'd completely forgotten why he was there.

* * *

Aww, poor Ted :( And poor Kofi too :( So Christmas _isn't_ the happiest time of the year...  
BTW, it was so hard writing Christmas when England's going through a heatwave! Haha :)  
Anyway, please **review** :) I can't believe I've got 100 reviews so far, so thanks to everyone :):) Xx

_Also, I've added a new poll to my profile. Even if you don't want to read the fic, please take the poll, as it would really help me out. Plus, it'll only take like... 5 seconds.  
Thanks :):)_


	24. Catching Up

Chapter 24 has arrived...

* * *

**CATCHING UP **

**

* * *

**

The January morning sun beat down on Beverly Hills High courtyard, as the cheerleaders sat around in a circle in the courtyard. Of course, the girls were on the benches, because sitting on the grass was a no-no; grass-stains could mark Maryse's pair of white jeans forever.

"-so then Mom said as long as I get the grades this semester, the BMW convertible is mine to keep," Rosa grinned proudly, waving the keys in her friends faces.

"What about the Prada purse?" Eve signalled at the red leather tote that had yet to leave Rosa's side. "Is that gonna be returned soon as well?"

"No!" Rosa giggled, "This was a present from Daddy!"

_God bless having rich, divorced parents,_ Eve thought to herself, looking round the benched circle at her friends in awe; they were all so decked-out after the holidays. Eve had received a new laptop, but compared to these girls, that was child's play. Thanks to her mother's connections at Fendi, Maryse's closet was kitted out with all the latest looks, straight of the catwalk, Alicia had spent Christmas in her parent's sky villa in Tampa, plus Brie and Nikki had a new black Range Rover.

Each.

"You've got a pretty healthy glow to you, Torres," Maryse commented, pulling her blonde hair over one shoulder. She and Eve were still on icy terms after the whole 'virginity' incident, however both were keeping up a civil front for the sake of the squad; neither one wanted to be seen as weak. "I thought you were just staying in Beverly Hills?"

"Change of plans, actually." Eve was already feeling smug; she had a feeling she'd got one up on Maryse. "Turns out Jack's parents got him an _extra_ special Christmas present; two tickets to join his parents in Bali."

Eve received five blank looks, all shot in her direction.

"Jack and I went to Bali together!" A series of excited squeals ensued, however none of which came from Maryse. In all the years they'd be dating, Jack had never taken her on holiday. Obviously there'd been the group spring breaks to Cabo San Lucas, but that was different; there was the cheerleaders and the basketball team. It was never just Maryse, Jack and his parents.

"Oh my God, that's insane!" Nikki jumped up and down in her seat. "That is such a big step! How was it?"

"It was absolutely beautiful," Eve smiled happily, thinking back on her break. "We were staying in this beautiful villa right by the water, so we could go swimming everyday; I've never seen anything like it. We went snorkelling, and sailing, and I swam with dolphins! I've never swam with dolphins before-"

"-and then we all lived happily ever after!" Maryse said with fake perkiness, getting up and picking up her bag.

"What was that?" Eve heard exactly what Maryse said, but she was in no position to cause fuss amongst the girls. There was a power struggle between the head cheerleader and the – honestly – more talented upstart, but some of the girls were too naive to see it, and Eve wasn't going to be the one to bring it to light. It was Maryse's problem, not hers.

"I just said-" The French-Canadian blonde paused, puckering her lips as she thought of what to say. "I've got a book to return to the library." _Yeah right, like she'd ever set foot in the school library. _"I'll catch up with you guys later." Maryse picked up her handbag and pranced out of the courtyard.

She was furious.

Leaning back against her locker, Maryse sighed. She was used to getting what she wanted. First day of freshman year, she was instantly made to feel special; her cheerleading tryout was successful, and she was the youngest girl on the squad. A year later, she was made captain, and was the first non-American girl in Beverly Hills High history to be in charge of the cheerleading squad. She'd worked damn hard to get where she was, and now, this new girl was coming in and taking everything from her; her friends, her position, hell, even her boyfriend.

"Excuse me," She looked to her left and noticed Ted DiBiase was trying to get to his locker, however Maryse was partially leaning against it. "You're on my locker."

"Ted DiBiase," Maryse smirked, moving so Ted could access his locker. "We haven't chatted since-"

"Can we not talk about it?" Ted sighed, referring to the night where he punched Miz, after he and Maryse managed to wind him up about Eve until he snapped. "I'm not exactly proud of it."

"I don't suppose you've heard about Eve and Jack's romantic trip to-"

"Bali," Ted finished. "You're too late to rain on my parade; Eve's already filled me in." His voice was filled with bitterness, as he remembered getting a call from an excited Eve two days after Christmas, telling him she and Jack were going off to Bali. All he could do was laugh along as she told him she'd bring him back a puka shell necklace.

"This must be killing you," Maryse, feeling down herself, wanted to make sure that someone was feeling just as bad as she did. "You act like there's nothing but friendship between the two of you, when really, you pine for her. But she's dating the captain of the basketball team, and, well let's be honest," Maryse let her eyes wonder over Ted. "You're no captain of the basketball team."

Ted shook his head, deciding to be the bigger person. "Go piss someone else off, Maryse, because it's not gonna work on me." He said, before leaving Maryse stood by the lockers, still as miserable as when she started.

* * *

"...so you're telling me-" Miz began, attempting to spin Jack's basketball on the tip of his finger, before Jack signalled for him to stop. "-that you were in Bali with Eve for a week, a _whole week_, and you didn't seal the deal?" He attempted another spin.

"Do you have no respect for your house, dude?" Jack rolled his eyes, follow Miz out of his living room and into the spacious garden, where he sat down on one of the patio chairs next to the pool. "No, we didn't have sex."

"You must be gagging for it," Miz smirked, rolling up the sleeves off his shirt at the heat. "Does that mean you haven't had sex since you and Maryse broke up?"

Unfortunately, Miz was right; he was a man with needs, and sometimes, those needs needed to be fulfilled. Obviously he was in no position to pressure her into anything she didn't want to do, so for the time being, he knew what he had to do; nothing, and like it. Besides, he'd learnt to enjoy the finer things in life; like Penthouse magazine – his father was an idiot if he thought Jack wouldn't find his collection. Not that he really read it anyway; he preferred just looking at the pictures-

"And the fact she's a virgin doesn't bother you?" Miz arched an eyebrow at his friend. Their Bromance was a long-standing one, and they knew each other inside out.

Jack sighed. "I mean, of course it'd be good if she _was_ willing to have sex, but I can't force her to do something she doesn't want to do. I'm not like you; pressuring chicks isn't my thing."

"Ouch, that hurt." Miz said sarcastically, clutching his chest in mock-pain. "Hey, maybe Eve wants it too. Maybe she just doesn't want it with you!"

Now _that_ was a slap to Jack's male ego. "Hey loser, I could have her if I wanted to."

"Oh yeah?" Miz could sense a wager of sorts coming. "Wanna make a bet out of it?"

It was Jack's turn to raise an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Hmm," Miz rubbed at his chin, wondering how high the price should be set. Neither one was too short of cash, so giving it away wasn't going to cause any bankruptcy. "Two hundred dollars says you can't get Eve into the sack by the end of spring break. That gives you four months, and hey, if you could have her, then you don't need for months."

"Are you insane?" Jack exclaimed.

"Like I said, it should be easy enough, right?"

"That's not the point. You can't make money off of her, she's...that's my girlfriend!"

"Dude, just think about it." Jack didn't even know how to respond, so he got up off the chair, and left his best friend's house.

Miz shrugged; Jack was a sportsman, a competitor, and he hated being proven wrong, and failing. If there was one thing Jack didn't like losing, it was his pride. Miz knew Jack all too well, and he knew his friend would be back to take up the challenge.

* * *

Ohhhh, yes, I went there!  
Haha, so will Jack take the challenge?  
The chapter's pretty short, I know, but I just wanted to set you up for what's to come!  
Please be patient with me, what with it being exam season and all!  
Hope you enjoyed :) and please leave a **review**.


	25. The Last Straw

Chapter 25...

* * *

**THE LAST STRAW**

* * *

"Dude, you could at least make the effort to smile." Cody sighed, clipping Ted across the cheek in a friendly way. As he scratched his hand on the stubble, he frowned. "And y'know, a shave wouldn't have gone amiss, either."

"Remind me again why I agreed to come out tonight?" The two men were sat in the Water Vine restaurant waiting for their dates to arrive. That's right; Cody set them up on a double date. His logic was that if he could get Ted out on a date with another girl, he'd start getting over Eve, or at least, it would take his mind off the fact Eve and Jack had become the new Maryse and Jack, and were now joined at the hip.

"Because, I've been trying to score with Michelle for weeks, but she'll only go out with me if I find a date for her friend Layla." Cody explained.

"Seriously? Real mature," Ted muttered. He'd met Michelle at a party before, and she was your stereotypical all-American girl; tall, blonde, athletic-build, but he'd never met Layla. And yeah, Michelle was hot, but she was super bitchy. Not to mention her Christianity meant Cody had to work real hard to get her into the sack. "Let me guess, because Michelle's _really_ hot, I'm stuck with the nerdy friend."

"Actually, you're wrong. They're best friends, and they go to the Catholic school, and they're-" Cody paused midsentence, his eyes falling on the doorway. "Well, why don't you find out for yourself?"

Ted turned around and looked over at the doorway and saw Michelle coming into the restaurant, closely followed by a girl he hadn't seen before, who he guessed was Layla. Michelle looked great, as always, in a short blue dress that showed off her long, toned legs, but Layla was beautiful. She was definitely exotic looking – Moroccan looking – with shoulder-length brown hair, and big brown eyes. She wasn't as tall as Michelle, but had a killer figure that was only framed by her tight black dress. Maybe Ted didn't believe in love at first sight, but he hadn't thought about Eve since he saw Layla.

"I did good, right?" Cody nudged his friend, before getting up to greet the two ladies. He kissed Michelle on the cheek, before leaning over to Layla and saying, "Layla El, this is my best friend, Ted DiBiase."

"It's a pleasure," She spoke with a British accent that made Ted weak at the knees.

"Oh no, the pleasure's all mine." He kissed her outstretched hand, before getting up and pulling her chair out for her, an action Cody instantly imitated. "Can we get you ladies some drinks?"

"I'll just have a sparkling water," Michelle announced, her eyes gazing over the menu in front of her. "It's swim season, so I've got to stay in shape."

"What about you, Layla?" Ted asked his date.

"Diet Coke." She said decisively. Ted turned around to speak to the waitress, who happened to be Eve's friend Kelly, before turning back to Layla. He was determined to keep Eve from his thoughts; she wasn't into him, and it was his turn to move on. "So Layla," Turning back to his date, he shot her his best smile; Ted DiBiase had a way with the ladies. "I notice you've got a British accent; did you ever live in England?"

Layla nodded, "I was born in London, and I lived there until ninth grade; that's when I moved to L.A. I love England, but you can't beat California, can you?"

"Certainly can't." Ted responded. Cody and Michelle were having their own conversation, so Ted was enjoying able to speak to closely to Layla. "I'm sure you get lots of attention from guys,"

"Why? Because I've got an accent?"

"That, and the fact you're absolutely stunning." He was certainly on top, flirting-form tonight, as he noticed Layla's cheeks glow pink.

"Yeah, well, you're not too bad yourself." The British beauty pouted her glossy lips, but Ted decided to keep her waiting for that kiss. So he leaned back in his seat, and pulled Kelly over to take his order. Eve had taken a lot out of him; it had been a while since he'd gone out on a date with girl, and now he was back.

It felt good.

* * *

"I'm sorry that restaurant turned out to be so crappy," Jack apologized, as he and Eve walked down the street hand-in-hand. The night air was cold, so Eve's bare arms were covered by her boyfriend's jacket. "If you come down with a severe case of salmonella, we'll know who's to blame."

"It's fine; it wasn't that bad. Besides, the hot waiter made up for it." She teased.

"Oh yeah? Well, the waitress in the short black skirt wasn't too bad either." Jack grinned, pulling Eve in close and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Then again, her legs weren't quite as good as yours."

"Wow, you can be pretty charming when you want to be." Standing on her tiptoes, Eve tilted her head up so she could kiss Jack on the lips.

Often when Eve and Jack went out on dates, it was as if they were celebrities. People from their school would stare at them, and it was something Eve just couldn't get used to. To Jack, it was normal; he'd experienced it since freshman year, but in some ways, it only brought them closer together. They both were going through a crazy situation.

But there was no-one else from school around; just the two of them under a street lamp a block away from the restaurant they'd just eaten at. Eve still couldn't get over what a great kisser Jack was, however as she felt his hands graze up her thighs and under her skirt, she flinched.

"I should get going." Eve backed away from her boyfriend, her voice shaky. She still wasn't ready to take their relationship any further, and she wished he'd understand that.

"Yeah, right." Jack sighed, following Eve down the street.

"Hey, isn't that Ted?" Looking across the street, Eve noticed her friend was stood on the doorstep of an unfamiliar house, with an equally unfamiliar girl. It was dark, so it was difficult to analyse her in detail, but she did see a pair of nice legs and a black dress that Eve herself owned. Obviously, it was date night all around.

"Is that Layla El he's with?" Jack squinted across the road.

"Who's Layla El?"

"She goes to the Catholic school in town. She used to date Miz, plus she's super hot-" He paused midsentence. "Sorry, gotta remember my audience."

Eve rolled her eyes before turning back to Ted, only she wished she hadn't. Ted gave Layla a hug, before the pair pulled away, and looked into each other's eyes for quite some time; Eve could feel the sexual tension from across the street. Then, Ted leaned in and cupped Layla's face in his hands, before embarking on a major lip lock.

"Wow, who'd have thought DiBiase would have such a way with the ladies?" Jack laughed.

Eve pursed her lips; there was a slight sinking feeling in her stomach, and she wasn't sure of why. "Listen, can we get out of here?"

* * *

Walking the length of Miz's bedroom, Maryse got sloppier with each step, something which was difficult to do in four inch heels. Eventually she turned to look at her friend, and with a sigh, she groaned, "Miz, I'm bored!" She flopped down on the bed next to him, where the Beverly Hills chick magnet was flicking through his iPod playlists. "You told me we were going to a party!"

"You sound like a child," Miz muttered, placing down the speakers. "We _were_ going to a party. Until the cops showed up and shut the place down. And unless you wanna go along and be questioned as to how you found out about the party, then I guess you can either go home or hang out here."

"Cops ruin everything." The French-Canadian sighed again, rolling over onto her front so she could look Miz in the eyes. "You know who else ruins everything?"

"Eve?" Predicting his friend's answer, Miz was sick of hearing about Maryse's hatred of the not-so-new cheerleader. After all, Maryse was sexy, but there was only so much moaning one guy could listen to.

"Exactly." She finished.

"_Michael!_" Miz's mom's voice flooded in from the downstairs hallway, referring to her son by his real name. "_Jack's here!" _

"Send him up!" Miz called back, shoving the iPod into his jean pocket.

"Jack?" Hopping off the bed and onto her feet, Maryse smoothed out the dress she was wearing, and looked into Miz's mirror, adjusting any stray strands of hair.

"Nice to know you're over your ex," Miz commented sarcastically, appearing behind Maryse in the mirror.

"Shut up." Maryse muttered. She didn't attempt to defend herself anymore, as her ex-boyfriend came into the bedroom, catching her attention. Just as good looking as ever, he wore a pair of smart black trousers, a polo t-shirt and a jacket she'd worn many times before. It horrified her that that very jacket had probably been slung over Eve.

"What're you doing here?" Jack asked, not even looking at Maryse as he sat down on the sofa in Miz's room.

"I have other friends besides the cheerleaders, y'know." Maryse said bitterly, sitting down on the sofa, but keeping a safe distance between her and Jack. "Can't a girl hang out with one of her friends?"

"So, what's up?" Miz asked Jack, before he sat down on his bed and got comfortable. He had a sneaky suspicion he knew what was coming, but he wanted to hear it from Jack.

"You know why I'm here," The blonde man muttered darkly.

"What's going on?" Maryse asked, intrigued by the mystery.

"We all know Jack isn't getting what he wants from Eve," A sly smirk fell onto Miz's face. "And I suggested that maybe Eve just didn't want it from Jack-"

"-Which isn't true-" He chipped in.

"-so I betted that he couldn't get Eve to have sex with him by spring break."

Maryse looked first at Miz, then at Jack, before letting out a loud cackle.

Miz hushed the female of the trio. "Keep it down; my mom will think we've got witches in the house."

"I'm sorry," Maryse said, composing herself. "But that's hilarious! You're gonna do it, right, Jack?"

"I wasn't," He began, "But I've got needs! I'm a man, and there are some things that need to be done! I dunno how much long I can wait it out-"

"So you're gonna do it?" Miz smiled, getting to his feet, and watching as Jack did the same.

"I guess I'm gonna do it." Jack nodded.

A handshake between the pair sealed the deal.

* * *

Poor Eve has no idea what's coming. And how could Jack do that to her?  
Plus, has Ted _finally_ moved on from Eve?  
Leave a **review**, read the next chapter & find out! Xx


	26. Artistic Differences

Chapter 26 is here...

* * *

**ARTISTIC DIFFERENCES**

* * *

All of the students are Beverly Hills High loved Ms Iris Gilligan; she was the schools' resident art teacher, and longest serving member of staff. Everyone knew her life story; born in East End London, she ran away to America at the age of sixteen and fell in love with a much older art dealer, gaining an appreciation of her lover's craft. The pair got married and settled down in Beverly Hills; however the love didn't last as Mr Gilligan ran away with another younger woman, leaving Ms Gilligan with millions in divorce money. Three husbands later, she was living comfortably. Iris may be coming up to seventy, but she still had that sixteen year old glint in her eye.

Kelly, in particular, had always been fascinated by Ms Gilligan; how she came from nothing, and despite a turbulent beginning, she'd made something of herself, and never pretended to be anyone other than who she was.

"Today, my darlings, is the start of a new project." She watched as Ms Gilligan glided into the room, wearing one of her art deco kaftans that you had to squint at to see. "We're going to be looking at impressionist art, the Ms Gilligan way. Now can anyone tell me what that is?"

"Like, Weird Al." Dolph piped up from the back of the room.

"Not quite, sweetie." Ms Gilligan winced, before glancing over at her star pupil. "Kelly?"

"It's like...finding something like a piece of music, and just expressing it in your own way. Guys like Monet, Pissarro and Alfred Sisley."

"Exactly."

Turning around, Kelly saw Kofi sat behind her, a bored look on his face. The pair hadn't spoken since their awkward encounter on Christmas day, and to say things between them were sour was an understatement.

She hated feeling this way; feeling so obsessed with how their relationship was. At this point, it wasn't even about her crush on him; it was his friendship she missed. Just being able to sit in his room and play Xbox, or the way they'd both watch a film at their houses, and text each other throughout, despite the fact they were mere metres away.

"-so I'm going to put you into groups, and you're going to work together to express the emotion I give you." Ms Gilligan began arranging trios, as Kelly sank down into her chair, preferring to work on her own. "Right, Kofi and Alicia, I'm going to put the pair of you with...Kelly."

At that point, Kelly wanted the ground to swallow her up whole. Alicia hated her, Kofi probably hated her, and now they'd have to work together in a somewhat cohesive unit. Art was Kelly's favourite class, and it was officially ruined. Could things get any worse?

"And your emotion," Ms Gilligan pondered for a moment. "Your emotion will be jealousy."

It just did.

Reluctantly, Kelly picked up her chair and manoeuvred it so she was facing both Kofi and Alicia; she was like she was about to audition for American Idol. That is, if Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell were sleeping together – which Kelly always assumed they were.

"I'll go get some supplies." Kofi spotted Dolph heading into the art store cupboard and immediately followed.

"Listen to me, and listen good, or things _will_ get ugly." Alicia hissed. "You're going to go find Ms Gilligan, and you're going to swap groups. I don't care how you do it, or who you do it with, but by the time Kofi gets out of the cupboard, you'll be gone. Got it?" As much as it pained Kelly to obey Alicia, they both wanted the same thing.

"Excuse me, Ms Gilligan?" Kelly approached the aging art teacher, who was rifling through a selection of paint pots with liver-spotted hands. "If it's okay, I'd like to swap groups with someone."

Ms Gilligan tipped her spectacles down to the bottom of her nose, and raised an eyebrow at Kelly. "Darling, I put you with Kofi and Alicia because I believe you have so much you can teach them. You have an artistic gift, and I want you to share it with them."

"Things are awkward between us." Kelly whispered.

"Why don't you tell me about it outside?" Ms Gilligan led Kelly out of the classroom and waited until the corridor was cleared, before allowing Kelly to tell her everything. No stone went unturned; her secret love of Kofi, their falling out, her rivalry with Alicia. Perhaps Ms Gilligan would be able to use some of her life experience to give Kelly some good advice.

"-so putting me in a group with them, making us express jealousy; it's all a little too...real."

"Why, it's perfect." The art teacher was more enthusiastic than ever. "This is how you create art; through real experiences. Channel all your pent-up frustrations into this painting. Let everything out in the open-"

Kelly didn't want to let everything out in the open.

"My first husband and I had a very turbulent relationship, and you know how my love of art began? Jack and I would fight; he'd storm off to go sleep with a young floozy in a bar, and I'd paint. Art is about being true to who you are, so you're going to get back to that table, and you're going to show Kofi and Alicia that you're not afraid to be yourself, and to show that in your work."

Dragging her feet, Kelly made her way back into the classroom, and sat back down at the table with Alicia and Kofi, the female of the two looked stunned; she obviously hadn't prepared for Kelly's return.

The blonde took a deep breath, and smiled easily, "So I was thinking of using water colours..."

* * *

Taking her eyes off of her copy of Cosmopolitan, Eve gazed around the empty 7-Eleven, as if she were waiting for a rush of people to materialise into thin air. She'd been working for an hour, and had only served three customers; it was surprisingly empty for an afterschool; normally the kids from the junior high would come in and get all hyped up on Slurpees. Kelly would be coming in to help out in a little while, but until then, Eve picked her handbag up off the floor and pulled out her cell phone, before proceeding to text Ted.

_Bored in 711. Entertain me? :) X_

It was the sort of thing Eve knew she should have been texting her boyfriend with, but she highly doubted that Jack was bothered about her boredom – not that Ted was. Ted was funnier than Jack, but she wasn't going to hold that against her boyfriend; humour wasn't everything.

Now Ted had a girlfriend, would he want to text her back all the time? Maybe he'd want to text Layla all the time, and she'd simply be an afterthought; one of those friends that he'd see around school and smile at, but other than that, very little would happen.

"Wow, I thought maybe there'd be a queue, but I'm clearly mistaken." The store now one new customer; Cody Rhodes. Ted's best friend sauntered up to the counter and rested his elbows against the surface.

"Yeah, you don't have to worry about being trampled for the Slurpee machine," Eve winked back. "So what can I do for you, Mr Rhodes?" She followed his gaze. "You want a grape Slurpee, don't you?"

"I will _have_ to drink it in the store. Fear of ruining my reputation and all that." His hands jammed in his pockets, Cody shrugged innocently. Eve smiled back at him; he was so cute.

"One grape Slurpee, coming up." Making her way over to the machine, she worked her magic. One of the main reasons she wanted a job at 7-Eleven was so she could operate the Slurpee machine; ever since she was a kid, she'd been fascinated by them. Well, not necessarily fascinated, but they were pretty damn yummy. She placed the cup down in front of Cody. "There you go, that's one seventy five."

Cody dug into his schoolbag and pulled out two dollar bills, before proceeding to drink his Slurpee.

"So where's Ted?" Eve asked innocently, as she sorted out Cody's change. "Aren't the two of you usually inseparable?"

"He's with this chick I set him up with a week ago."

"Layla?"

"Yeah," Cody nodded. "You know her?"

"I've got my sources." She shrugged, walking over to a rack of magazines and leaning over to neatly arrange them, before innocently asking, "So what's going on between them?"

"They're dating. I think they're getting along pretty well actually; just having fun, y'know?" Cody followed Eve over to the magazine rack, picking up a copy of GQ and flipping through before asking just as innocently, "Why? You jealous?"

"Please!" Eve scoffed, her head flicking up so quickly that she nearly knocked the Slurpee right out of Cody's hand. "I'm with Jack. I was just asking because I haven't heard much from Ted recently. I guess he's been busy with Layla, or something."

"Right," Cody nodded. Obviously his plan to take Ted's mind off Eve had worked perfectly; his friend had moved on. But what was with Eve? She seemed so-

"Sorry I'm late, I got held up in traffic," There were now three in the store, as Kelly came through the main entrance, before rushing towards the staff room at the back. "I'll go get changed and then I'll-" Stopping to look around, she realised there were only two other people there. "So there's no rush then?" She grinned, before going inside the staffroom.

"Well, I'd better get going," Scrunching up his now empty Slurpee cup, Cody tossed it in the nearest trash can. "I'll see you at school tomorrow, Eve." He put his copy of GQ back on the rack, before leaving the store.

Eve walked back to the till, and sat down again, resting her chin against her hand. Cody couldn't be more wrong; she wasn't jealous of Ted and Layla, in fact, she was happy that her friend had moved on. After all, what kind of a friend would she be if she was unsupportive of him?

"Jack told me you worked here, but I didn't think I'd see you today," The store door opened again, but this time, it was Miz that came in, the usual smirk sat upon his lips. He was pretty rich, so he probably pitied her for having to work for her money.

"What are you looking for?" Eve asked with as much patience as possible. They'd gotten over the whole party incident, but there was still something suspicious about Miz; his aura was too cocky for Eve's liking.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could exchange some notes for coins," Miz dug his wallet out from his pocket. "I need to pay for some petrol at the gas station across the road."

"Well, I'm not allowed to on behalf of 7-Eleven, but I've got some change in my purse." Eve picked up her bag and pulled out her own wallet, before issuing the exchange.

"Thanks," He smiled, before stepping backwards. She couldn't help but notice how, despite the fact she was sat behind a till, he was checking out her appearance, making her feel a little bit uncomfortable.

"Can I help you with something?" She raised an eyebrow. "Are you checking me out?"

"Of course not." He smirked, before making his way out of the store. "Thanks again, have a nice day, Eve."

"What was that about?" Kelly appeared next to Eve at the till, watching through the window as Miz got into his car and began driving off down the road.

Eve also noted he did _not_ stop at the gas station across the road, instead driving straight past. "I have no idea." She muttered.

* * *

Lying stomach down on her bed, Eve yawned lazily, still thumbing through her copy of Cosmopolitan. She knew she probably should have been doing something more useful – like studying for tomorrow's Spanish paper – but she really didn't have the energy. Plus, she felt slightly put off by the fact Ted _still_ hadn't texted her back.

It was only a little thing, and Eve knew it shouldn't have bothered her as much as it did, but normally, Ted replied to her straight away. It had been six hours, and he was still MIA. Just because he had a girlfriend didn't mean their friendship had to dissolve, did it? After all, Eve was dating Jack long before Ted and Layla, and Eve was still a great friend to him. It made no sense to her.

She leaned over to her bedside table, and picked up her cell phone. Flicking through her contacts, she went straight to the 'Ts', before picking out Ted's number and dialling.

'_Hey, you've reached Ted. I'm not around, so leave a message and I'll call you back'. _

"Hey Ted," Eve began. "It's Eve. I just wondered how you were, and I-"

"Who're you calling?" The door of Eve's bedroom door creaked open, and in came Jack. Having completely forgotten her boyfriend was hanging out with Kofi that evening, Eve almost jumped out of her skin when she saw him. She'd barely seen him all evening; when she'd got in from 7-Eleven, she'd taken a shower and had dinner, before deporting up to her bedroom.

"Just Brie." Eve lied, getting up off her bed to give her boyfriend a quick kiss on the lips.

"You look cute in pyjamas," Jack murmured into the kiss, just as Eve realised she was wearing little more than a pair of girl boxers and a tank top.

"Yeah, well I wasn't expecting visitors-" She was cut off, this time by a kiss from Jack. It wasn't just a quick one this time, as she could feel his hands on her upper thighs – dangerously close to her ass – and a certain throbbing in the front of his pants. She was definitely thankful his eyes were closed, as her cheeks were getting hotter and hotter. Even more thankful was Eve when she heard her phone ring. "I should probably get that." She pulled away.

"I'll see you in the morning, Eve." Jack said, before leaving the room and closing the door gently behind him, careful not to wake up Carol and Andrew, who were already asleep at this point.

Eve breathed a sigh of relief, before going over to her ringing cell phone. "Ted?"

"_Hi, can I speak with Janice?" _

"Sorry, I think you've got the wrong number," Eve muttered before hanging up with a sigh. What was wrong with her? She didn't want to have sex with her boyfriend, and now she was obsessing over her best friend's love life. Desperate to shake off whatever she was feeling, Eve climbed into bed, and continued flicking through the pages, however her mind wasn't on it.

Not even the article which bluntly stated **'**_**Is your boyfriend pressuring you into sex?' **_

* * *

Has Ted moved on from Eve? And is Eve starting to have feelings for Ted?  
And when will she realise what Jack's up to?  
Plus, what will happen with Kofi/Kelly/Alicia on their project?  
Please **review** :)


	27. On To The Next One

27...

* * *

**ON TO THE NEXT ONE**

**

* * *

**

Letting his eyes slowly open, Ted looked over to his side and saw Layla was no longer there. There was no trace of her left; her clothes were no longer lying on the floor, and her handbag...he couldn't even remember what it looked like. It didn't surprise him; normally if he slept with a girl, she'd leave before he woke up, or vice versa if he was at hers. It just prevented any morning after awkwardness. Sleeping next to Layla hadn't been too much of a pain, she didn't make a lot of noise, but she hogged most of the covers, so Ted ended up having to steal a duvet from the guest bedroom.

He got out of bed, and grabbed his boxers off the floor, slipping them on. Then, he moved over to his closet and got out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and put them on. Knowing he had to get to school, he slipped his books into his backpack, before slinging it over his shoulder, and making his way downstairs.

On the stairs, Ted could hear the sound of a tap running in his kitchen. None of his family was at home, and Riggs the dog certainly didn't have the ability to operate the sink. His first guess was that maybe Mike was back from college for the day and had used his spare key.

"Hello?" Ted called.

"_It's only me._" A British response came shrilly.

Ted walked into the kitchen and saw Layla was still very much in his house. She was sat on a barstool at the kitchen counter, drinking a glass of water and reading through one of her school textbooks. When she saw him, a bright smile spread across her face.

"You were sleeping so peacefully, I didn't want to disturb you," Getting up from the counter, she went over to Ted and placed a small kiss on his lips. "So I thought I'd do my homework downstairs. Your house is insanely huge, I could barely find the-" She stopped midsentence, noticing the expression on his face. "Why're you looking at me like that?"

"Sorry," He shook his head. "I just didn't realise you were still here. I thought it was a burglar or something,"

She laughed. "Did you expect me to just leave before you woke up?"

_Yes._ "Of course not." He walked over to one of the cupboards, and rifled through. "Did you want breakfast or something? There isn't much in the house, because my parents are away in Mississippi at the moment, so I've pretty much been living off takeout."

"I've actually already eaten," She replied, holding up an empty bowl. "I found cornflakes in the fridge, so I helped myself. Hope that's alright."

"Yeah, fine."

"I'm gonna go up to the bathroom and freshen up." Layla left the kitchen and went up the stairs, into the bathroom, leaving Ted alone in the kitchen.

Ted had been with Layla for almost two weeks, and they were having a lot of fun together. She was sexy, fun, sweet, and pretty much everything he could want in a girl, and more, but yet, somehow, there was something missing. Knowing he wasn't an expert n relationships, Ted's expectations weren't exactly high, but of the top of his head, he couldn't find a single fault in Layla. So what was the problem? His cell phone in his pocket was the only thing to pull him away from his thoughts.

Going through his text messages, he had a whole bunch he had yet to read, and most of them were from Eve. He didn't realise until he was away from her what a huge part she played in his life. Everytime she had a problem, it was Ted she'd text. If she wanted to have some fun, it was with Ted. Four missed calls proved that, and it was because of this that getting over Eve was never going to be easy.

Soon after, Ted felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket, and he instantly answered. "Hello?"

"Hello stranger, nice to see you're picking up your phone." Eve's voice came through bright and cheerful. "How've you been?"

"I'm good," The bathroom was directly above the kitchen, so Ted wondered if Layla could hear him. "What's up?"

"I just wondered if you and Cody were still coming around afterschool for pizza and Bourne movies. I mean, I haven't heard anything from you in a while-"

"Yeah we'll be there." Seeing Layla come into the kitchen out of the corner of his eye, he decided to get out while he could. "Listen, I've gotta go, but we'll be round at four thirty-ish." Eve didn't get the chance to say anything else, as Ted had hung up.

"Who was that?" Layla asked, going through her school bag in search of her own cell phone. She was wearing her school uniform, which was a total turn on for Ted. Short skirts and tight blouses were always going to be his weakness.

"One of my friends," He shrugged, stuffing his cell phone back into his pocket, and slinging his backpack onto his back.

"Someone's being shady." Layla winked. "Anyway, I've gotta get to school."

"Me too. You need a ride?"

"Yes please." Ted knew he'd have to put any feelings he had for Eve aside, and get on with the day ahead.

* * *

Sitting down on one of the desks, Kelly dug into her bag and pulled out her sketching pencils and notepad, before meticulously lining them up in order of colour. She had a thing about colour organisation, and her art pencils in particular. She began whispering to herself, "Red, orange, yellow-"

"Is it just you keeping me company today, or are the other two members of your group joining us?" Ms Gilligan asked from her desk at the front of the classroom.

"I told them I'd be here, but I doubt they're gonna show up." Kelly was supposed to be meeting Kofi and Alicia to get their project finished, but she wasn't expecting an appearance from either of them. The cheerleader and the basketball player were hardly going to stay behind to finish a pointless art project.

"How are things between the three of you?" Ms Gilligan asked, shakily walking over to Kelly's desk and sitting in an available chair, resting her walking stick against the table. "Love triangles are never fun."

"It's awkward." Kelly couldn't put how she felt into words; she was a mixed bag of emotions. "I miss having Kofi as a friend, but I can't say anything, because he's in a different league to me."

"Why's that?"

"There's a social hierarchy, and he's at the top, being one of the junior class' top athletes, and I'm the white trash, former cheerleader and would-be teenage mom. Why would he even care? Losing me isn't going to harm him in any way." This sense of desperation she felt; it wasn't fun. It wasn't good for her.

"Darling, you have a lot going for you, and you don't even realise it. You're beautiful, you're sweet and regardless of what's happened, your future is full of wonderful, _wonderful_ things."

A blush settled on Kelly's cheeks; she wasn't used to flattery.

"Hey," The art room door opened, and Kofi stepped into the room cautiously, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "I thought you might've left by now."

"Nope, I'm still here." She caught Ms Gilligan's eye and resisted the urge to smile. The art teacher retreated back to her desk, leaving Kelly and Kofi be. "Is Alicia coming?"

"She's got a doctor's appointment." Kofi explained, sitting down at the desk.

"Really? She's shopping, isn't she? Where is it, Robertson or Rodeo?"

"Wilshire Boulevard," He offered up a weak smile, seeing no point in arguing. She wasn't an idiot, and Kofi knew it. "But apparently it was a-"

"-Fashion emergency." Kelly finished. "You forget that I used to be a cheerleader."

"Okay, I don't know a lot about art, so I'm pretty much gonna leave you to make all the artistic decisions." Kofi smiled. "I'm happy to be the runner and to go get stuff for you."

"Well, I need acrylic paints, as well as some paint bombs."

"Paint bombs?"

"You said you were gonna let me make the decisions," Kelly winked, "So just trust me."

"Alright," Watching as he got up from his seat, Kelly noticed the smile on Kofi's face. It was the kind of smile he wore whilst they were friends. She wanted more than anything to tell him she wanted to make up, but how could she without giving away her true feelings?

"Say something to him!" Ms Gilligan hissed from her desk, when she was sure Kofi had disappeared into the cupboard. "He's away from his girlfriend; you might not get another opportunity to talk to him!" In her head, Kelly tried to come up with some kind of conversation starter. Should she apologize? Should he be the one to apologize?

"The only paint bombs they had were in green and purple," He announced, placing them down on the table so they didn't burst.

"You ever used a paint bomb before?" He shook his head; it seemed like a light way to ease them in. "It's easy," She placed the canvas against one of the wall's and handed Kofi a bomb. "You throw it."

"Like a baseball?"

"Just like a baseball." She repeated, standing back and watching as the green paint exploded over the canvas. "It's a total stress reliever, isn't it?"

"Totally," Kofi grinned, continuing his artist bombings.

Now was her chance. The tension was gone, so it was time to talk. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure,"

"When did things get so awkward between us?"

There was a silence, apart from the tension of Ms Gilligan's pencil scratching into her notebook. The elderly teacher used her instincts, and got up, making her way out of the classroom. It was quiet for a little longer, until Kofi threw another bomb. "Probably when you suggested we stop spending so much time together." He responded. "So I took a step back, like you said I should."

"There's a story behind that. Someone told me that the way our relationship came across..." When did explaining herself become so difficult? "They said that it didn't come across as very platonic."

"Who said that?" His head flicked around.

"I don't think it's my place to say." She bit down on her lip, wanting to tell him what a bitch his girlfriend was, but resisting the urge. "But I realised that other people's opinions haven't bothered me in the past, so I see no use in letting them bother me now, right?"

"Good to know."

"What do you say? My brother's got some new games for his Xbox, and he's kicking my butt at them. I'm thinking a little extra training wouldn't go a miss. You think you can help me?"

Kofi didn't answer. Instead, he looked intently at the paint bomb in his hand, before a mischievous grin crept across his lips, and he smashed the paint bomb into her back, leaving her baby pink shirt stained with a bright purple patch.

"Oh no, you didn't!" She laughed, grabbing a paint bomb of her own, and throwing it at his chest.

* * *

Eughhh I hate writer's block!  
I guess you could call this a filler chapter...  
I only posted this because I wanted to get an update done before I go to Glastonbury :)  
Hope you enjoyed, please leave a **review** :) X


	28. Two Guys And A Girl

Chapter 28...

* * *

**TWO GUYS AND A GIRL**

**

* * *

**

Breaking her glance away from her newly-painted cherry-red nails, Maryse let out a not-so-discrete yawn. The sun was hot, the sky was blue, and there she was, sat on the bench watching Jack and Miz play tennis. "I'm bored!" Her exasperated call echoed through the Swaggers' private tennis court, so the two males stopped playing and turned to look at her. "I want to play." She announced, when all eyes were on her.

"You wanna play?" Miz didn't attempt to hide his sexist tones. Instead, he swaggered over to Maryse and mockingly waved the racket in her face.

"I didn't wear my tennis clothes for nothing." Snatching the racket out of his grasp, she got to her feet before using her available hand to smooth down her pink polo and tiny white skirt.

"Thank God, it's about time I got some competition." Jack winked at his ex-girlfriend.

There weren't many sports Maryse was fond of – there was too much sweat involved in sport – but tennis and cheerleading were the exceptions. Her father, a keen player himself, had personally coached his daughter before getting her her own instructor, one of the best in the world. Once a week, Maryse could take her aggression out on a small, innocent yellow ball; it was therapeutic for her.

"So how's the plan going?" Maryse asked, stepping onto the court and serving the ball to Jack.

"Not good," He replied, "We make out all the time, but the second my hands go under her clothes, she freezes. It's so weird."

"How strange," The French-Canadian commented, before thrashing the ball. "My point."

"Damn, I forgot how good you were, Ouellet."

"Looks like Kournikova's not the only hot blonde tennis player," Miz grinned from the bench. Maryse was even hotter when she played tennis; her face was concentrated and her tanned limbs glistened in the sunlight. Plus, she even had her own tennis grunt.

"Please," Maryse scoffed. "I'm way hotter than Kournikova."

Jack hit the ball a little too aggressively, causing Maryse to help and spring backwards. "Hello? Back to my problem?"

"Whiny bitch," Miz's smirked remained as he got up and leaned back against the wire fence. "How do you plan on getting Eve if she's going to freak out at your very touch?"

"I feel like I'm making progress." Jack put down his racket and picked up a water bottle, as Maryse continued to play, bashing the ball against the fence and hitting the rebound. "Eve's the kind of chick you need to butter up a little before you're in her good books. "

"With presents?"

"Kindness." Jack corrected. For years, he'd gained Maryse's approval through his wallet; exotic flowers, expensive restaurants and exquisite jewellery were the only way to gain her favour, but with Eve, it was a totally different ball game. The Denver beauty appreciated the simple things; pulling her chair out for her when she sat down, driving her to and from places, even watching a football game with her.

"So, you plan on screwing her with a few compliments? Seriously?"

"That's how you do it," Maryse piped up.

"Touché." Miz glanced over at the attractive French-Canadian blonde, as she dropped her racket on the ground and walked over to the side of the court. She grabbed a towel off of the ground and laid it out on the floor, before lying on top of it. Pulling down her sunglasses so they covered her eyes, she let out a lazy yawn, her whole body stretching upwards so a sliver of her toned stomach poked out from under her t-shirt, and her skirt just got a little high.

They'd known each other for years, yet somehow, over the past few weeks, something had changed about his feelings towards Maryse and Miz wasn't sure of what. Of course, Maryse had always been beautiful, but he now found himself lusting after her, which he'd never done before. After all, Miz knew he was a jerk, but he'd never go after with someone else's girl; it was too much baggage.

Now? She was available; a free agent and that meant anything could happen.

* * *

"Matt Damon's hot," Eve mused, pulling some pepperoni off of her pizza and sticking it in her mouth. "And he's even hotter when he's a former CIA agent. He's _definitely_ in my top five."

"Your top five?" Ted drew his eyes away from the screen.

"Everyone has a top five!" She exclaimed, pausing the movie to explain. "It's the top five celebrities you're allowed to sleep with, regardless of your relationship." Of course, there was an irony in this, seeing as Eve would barely sleep with her own boyfriend, let alone a celebrity.

"So who's in this top five?"

"Well, Matt Damon, as I said. Then Chad Michael Murray, Leonardo DiCaprio, – only in his Titanic days, though – Chace Crawford and Heath Ledger."

"You are aware Heath Ledger's dead, aren't you?" Cody pointed out, munching his way through the last pizza slice in the box. "It's never gonna happen,"

"Oh, but Chad's just dying to go out with me?" She added sarcastically. "Okay smartass, who'd be on your list?"

Cody didn't have to think for very long. "Marissa Miller, Blake Lively, Jessica Alba, Audrina Patridge and Lauren Conrad. Easy."

"I wouldn't have had you down as a fan of The Hills."

"He loves it," Ted grinned. "He had a Heidi Montag poster on his bedroom wall for years until she messed her face up with all the surgery."

Cody dipped his head in sadness. "May her old face rest in peace."

Eve was glad Cody was there. There was an undefined tension between her and Ted, and Cody being there and being...well, Cody, eliminated any of that awkwardness. Since coming to California, Eve had the most fun when she was with Cody and Ted, just hanging out. Her feelings for Ted – whatever they were – seemed regardless; they were both in relationships, and Eve didn't see that changing.

"Alright, you guys have gotta scram." Eve got up and turned off the TV, beginning to clear up the pizza boxes. "Jack and I are have a date tonight, and I've gotta start getting ready."

"Good point," Ted grabbed his leather jacket off the back of the sofa and slung it on. "Layla and I are going out and I've gotta finish some math homework before I go. Exams are coming up and I can't be flunking now."

"So you and Layla are going on a date?" Cody then turned to Eve. "And you and Jack are going on a date?"

"Well done, Einstein, what's your point?" Eve raised an eyebrow as she picked some cushions up off the floor.

Cody knew Ted would kill him for this later, but he couldn't resist stirring the already boiling pot. "Well, if it's date night all around, maybe you could...double date?"

Both Eve and Ted felt their hearts stop, and the same thoughts ran through their heads; that would be uncomfortable. Neither one was particularly happy with the others relationship, and the idea of spending a night chewing their way through appetizers to avoid awkward conversation was torture. But there were reasons to go; neither wanted to show how they really felt. By turning down the date, they'd be showing the other they were weak; showing the prospect of confrontation scared them.

"So?" Cody broke the silence.

"I guess I'm okay if you are," Eve said reluctantly.

Ted spoke through gritted teeth. "It's a date."

* * *

Well, bringing Maryse & Miz into it? Thoughts? :P  
It's shorter than usual, but I've spent a lot of time sorting out where this story is going.  
There's going to be 38 chapters in total, so there's about 10 left, but don't forget, there _is_ a sequel :)  
Next time you'll see the double date, so make sure you read on!  
Please **review** :)


	29. Suspicious Minds

Chapter 29...

* * *

**SUSPICIOUS MINDS**

**

* * *

**

"I'm in the mood for nachos," Kelly mused, placing down Kofi's Xbox controller and clutching her stomach dramatically as Kofi entered the room with a bag of Doritos he'd found in the kitchen cupboards.

"Am I a mind reader or what?" He grinned, tossing her the bag and watching as she tore it open and began munching. After spending so much time with Alicia, who ate nothing but what Maryse told her to, seeing a chick with an appetite was a refreshing change.

"Technically, these are just Doritos and not nachos." Kelly corrected. "Add some cheese and dip and we'd have nachos."

"Alright, you want some silver cutlery to go with that?" He joked, once again comforted by Kelly's friendship. The pair were close once again, and had returned to their usual evening routine of rushing through homework before moving onto gaming and snacks at each other's houses.

Before Kelly could come up with a smart response, the bedroom door opened without a knock, and Eve came inside, obviously in the process of getting ready for a night out. Her make-up wasn't finished, her hair was still in a towel and her body was covered up by a bathrobe. "Kelly," Eve looked at her blonde friend. "I'm in need of some fashion advice."

"...and that's my cue to go to the store and pick up some essentials." Kofi grabbed his wallet off his desk. "Anything you want me to get, Kells?"

"Nacho-making equipment!"

"If you're going to 7Eleven, you can get my staff card out of my wallet, and you'll get a discount! My wallet's on the kitchen counter!" Eve called to Kofi, before dragging Kelly down the short stretch of corridor to Eve's room, where the usually spotless haven was a seat of clothing; dresses and skirts scattered over surfaces and shoes on the floor, as Eve's iPod was currently blasting out 'California Girls' by Katy Perry.

"Oh my God, it's like a bomb was set off on Rodeo!" Kelly smirked, picking up random items. "What's the occasion?"

"Jack and I are double-dating." Stressed, Eve took the towel off her head, releasing her wet locks and running her fingers through the damp waves. "With Ted and Layla."

"That should be fun." Eve hadn't told anyone about her discomfort at Ted and Layla's relationship, not even her confidante Kelly. "I mean, you and Ted are so close, it'll probably be more like a group outing, right?"

"Yeah," Eve muttered, now wanting to move off the subject. "So I wanted some fashion advice. I'm thinking it's between two dresses; the blue halter neck and the white mini dress with a black lace panel."

Kelly stepped back to take a good look as Eve held both options against herself. "Well, you wear blue quite a lot, but that's fine because it suits you really well. But I really like the white dress."

"So you're thinking the white?"

"Definitely." Kelly replied, beginning to tidy up as Eve removed her bathrobe and slipped on the white dress. "With the black wedges?"

"Aren't the wedges too clumpy for such a feminine dress?" Eve queried, beginning to put on her make-up. "Wouldn't a pair of slinkier heels be better?"

"Good thinking. So are you gonna just let your hair dry naturally into waves, or are you gonna straighten it?" Both girls knew the fashion talk was fun, but when all was said and done, they'd have to leave Eve's room and return to boys that had no idea of their real feelings.

* * *

"We never hang out anymore." Maryse sipped through the straw which sat in her margarita until the glass was empty. Leaning back against the headboard of Brie's bed, she looked around at her friends; Alicia, Rosa, Brie and Nikki. Yeah, best friends were hard to come by, but she liked to think these girls had her back. "It's great just...having everyone around."

"Umm, Eve isn't here," Brie pointed out, coming into the room whilst Nikki followed with a plate of organic veggies and dip.

Of course, what the twins really wanted to serve was something with high sugar and/or fat content, but with Maryse and her calorie counting obsession in the room, that wasn't going to happen.

"Right," Maryse rolled her eyes, frustrated at the mention of the brunette's name. Secretly, the French-Canadian had been ecstatic that Eve was unable to attend the sleepover at the Bella twins' house, but she wasn't going to admit that to the other girls, who seemed happy enough.

"So, we're only a couple of weeks away from homecoming," Rosa announced, placing down her drink on one of the bedside tables. "Obviously, Zacky and I will be going together, but what about the rest of you?" She turned her attention to the nearest Bella twin. "Brie?"

"Well, actually, Montel and I have been flirting for a while," A blush settled on her cheeks. "I'm hoping he'll pull through and ask me. I mean, he's cute, right?"

"Totally," Maryse confirmed. "And he's on the team, which is a plus. Nikki?"

"Well, the other night Dolph and I were texting-"

"Sexting," Brie grinned.

"No, just texting." Nikki stuck her tongue out at her sister. "Anyway, we have fun together, and we're both single, so...who knows?"

Having a date for school social events was a very important thing, something Maryse learnt after her unsuccessful jaunt at the Halloween dance, but even more important was having the _right_ date. After all, it was easy enough for girls like them to get dates, but it was a case of finding the guys that were worth holding out for. Guys like Montel and Dolph were fine choices; they were on the basketball team, both popular and reasonably good looking; the twins had bagged a couple of reliable boys.

"What about you, Maryse?" Nikki dared to ask. The usually bragging blonde hadn't brought up her love-life in months; she'd become a closed book when it came to dating.

"Oh, no real plans just yet." Maryse said breezily. Since Jack, her love life had been a bit of a shambles; there was the short-lived tryst with Jared the college guy, but besides him, she'd got involved in a string of meaningless hook-ups at parties.

"Well, I'm sure someone will come along soon enough," Rosa could sense her best friend's discomfort, so she decided to shift the conversation. Looking over at Alicia, who's eyes and fingers had been glued to her sidekick, Rosa asked, "Who're you texting?"

"Kofi," Alicia put her phone in her pocket, before huffing, "He's with Kelly."

"Carlyle?" Nikki folded her legs, getting comfortable at the prospect of gossip. "They're friends?"

"And next door neighbours. They hang out all the time," Alicia tried to brush it off, but it bothered her more than it should have. "He stood up for her when the other guys were being dicks to her, and they're pretty close."

"Doesn't that bother you?" Rosa queried.

"Of course it does, but Kofi tells me they're just friends, and I'm gonna believe him." Alicia didn't want to nag at him; she didn't want to be the bad guy in their relationship, and badgering him wouldn't help the situation. "He's my boyfriend, and if he says nothing's going on, it's my job to believe him."

"But what if he's not being honest with you?" Nikki asked.

"Surely if he were going to cheat on Alicia, he wouldn't tell her he was with the girl he was going to cheat with." Brie tried to reason, as she smiled over at her friend. "I don't think you have anything to worry about, Leesh."

"Thanks, Brie." Alicia smiled back, squeezing the twin's hand.

"Right, who wants more margaritas?" Brie asked, getting up from her bed and holding up the empty jug.

"_Me!" _All the girls chorused.

"I'll go make some more."

"I'll help out," Alicia exited the room after Brie, desperate to escape the conversation.

As soon as Alicia and Brie left the bedroom and the sound of their footsteps on the stairs was audible, Nikki and Rosa turned to face Maryse. "Does she have anything to worry about?" Rosa asked.

"Of course. Kelly Carlyle is full of bad intentions. She'd steal the clothes off a blind man's back," Maryse said snippily, despite the fact this was _not_ the case. "Ever since she left the squad, she's been bitter and stealing Kofi from Alicia would be the perfect way to spite us, and boost her ego."

"So what're you gonna do about it?"

"I dunno," The blonde shrugged, "But when I think of something, I'll get back to you."

* * *

Looking down at the Rolex on his wrist, Jack sighed. "Looks like they're late." He signalled for the waitress to bring him another Coke, before he began tapping his fingers against the white tablecloth.

"I'm sorry to drag you into this; you shouldn't have to hang out with Ted and Layla." Eve gave her boyfriend an apologetic smile. "To be honest, I don't really know why I accepted."

"This was Ted's idea?"

"Cody's, actually."

Now Jack was confused.

"It's a long story, but regardless, I couldn't say no." Eve began nervously playing with one of her rings. "I'm sure they'll be here soon."

"Isn't that Ted?" Jack pointed over to the doorway where Ted was entering, looking smart in a black shirt and trousers. "Where's his date?"

Jack's question was answered by what seemed like the longest five seconds in time; everything went in slow motion as shortly behind Ted came Layla, looking absolutely stunning, wearing exactly the same dress as Eve. Both girls were wearing the white dress with the black lace panel.

"Well, obviously that's why Maryse advised I didn't buy off the rack," Eve muttered.

"No way," Jack attempted to hide his smirk. He had to admit, it was a _little_ funny. "I'm guessing you guys didn't plan to do that."

As Ted got closer to the table, he noticed too. "Well, you two are...At least you have something in common." He managed to say.

"Nice dress," Eve decided to be polite. "I'm Eve, and this is my boyfriend Jack," The two females exchanged polite handshakes, "It's nice to meet you Layla."

"Can we get something to eat? I'm starving." Jack sat back down, as everyone took their seats at the table. They ordered drinks and began the awkward conversation, unaware that everyone at the table held a grudge against someone else.

Ted and Jack hated each other. They were both in love with Eve, and had some awareness of the others feelings. When it came to love, no-one wanted competition, and that was what the other provided. Jack saw Ted as an outside; he wasn't in the main clique, and he didn't conform to what the other students did, despite the fact he was the prototype for what the popular guy could've been; good-looking, athletic, smart. Ted saw Jack as selfish and arrogant, and someone that couldn't provide Eve with what she deserved. Could Ted be a better boyfriend to Eve than Jack was? He was sure of it, and in some ways, both boys knew that.

Eve and Layla hated each other. Layla's reasoning was simple; Eve showed up in the same dress as her, but for Eve, it was much deeper. When Ted got together with Layla, it brought out feelings in Eve she didn't know she had for Ted. She was jealous, and she shouldn't have been, because she had a great boyfriend. Before, Ted was Ted, one of her best friends, but when he became off-limits, she wanted him to be more than that. Eve hated Layla for coming into the picture and making Eve see what was there all along.

"So, Layla," Eve began, looking at the female across the table from her. "Ted tells me you're a cheerleader."

"That's right," The British girl said, suspiciously.

"I'm a cheerleader too." She responded, cheerily. "Do you guys cheerlead for the boys' Catholic school?"

"Yeah,"

This girl wasn't exactly being friendly, Eve thought to herself. "Our basketball team's playing against your boys team in San Diego this weekend in the finals," Jack cut in. "Are you coming down with the cheerleaders?"

"Yes, I am." Layla replied, finally breaking her icy composure. "We're pretty excited about it, actually, because it's the first time we-" She stopped talking, as the sound of her cell phone ringing in her pocket cut her off. "Excuse me, I can't ignore this" Getting to her feet, Layla made her way towards the bathroom to take her call.

"She's pretty," Eve said to Ted after a short silence.

"I'm sorry about her, she's been acting really weird all day." Ted apologized, looking over at the door of the women's bathroom where she was inside. "I dunno what's wrong with her; she was being all...quiet before we left."

"Maybe it's her time of the month," Jack added unhelpfully. "You know, throwing a bitch fit because of it."

Ted didn't quite know how to respond to that. "Yeah," He smirked. "Maybe."

Before they could contemplate Layla's odd behaviour anymore, the girl herself returned from the bathroom, a guilty look on her face. "I'm really sorry guys, but I've gotta go. My sister's come down with food poisoning, and my mom's working so I can't help out." She picked her bag up off the floor. "Seriously, I'm really sorry-"

"Hey, it's fine, don't worry about it," Eve bowed her head as Ted kissed her on the cheek. "I'll walk you out."

"Well, that was really weird," Jack commented as Ted and Layla left the restaurant together. "She left _pretty_ quickly."

"She's hiding something from us," Eve observed, "And I want to know what it is."

* * *

Layla's acting odd... you'll find out why in the next chapter!  
Plus, the next chapter's in San Diego, so expect cheerleader/basketballer drama :)  
Please leave a **review**! Xx


	30. So Heartless

Chapter 30... can you believe it? :)

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**SO HEARTLESS**

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When Brie and Nikki said they had connections to a club in San Diego, this was _not_ what Maryse had in mind. She has envisioned a place much like the ones in L.A, be it Les Deux, or The Viper Room, but this was not a club. Maryse almost wished she hadn't put so much effort into her outfit.

The whole junior basketball team and cheerleading squad were in California's second largest city for three days to compete in the state basketball finals. The first day was a torturous coach journey from Beverly Hills to San Diego – you'd think with all the cash these parents were splashing they could afford a nicer form of transport, and day two was training for the basketball team and tutoring and cheerleading practise for the girls. But on the third day, Beverly Hills High won the tournament, and both schools were out celebrating. Nikki and Brie, who had relatives in San Diego, had told the group they could get them into one of the city's nightclubs, which they had, however this was different to the classy lifestyle these kids were used to. It was dark, only lit by strobe lights and tacky neon wall signs, and everyone was sweaty and grimy, grinding against each other on the dance floor.

And the oddest part? No-one seemed to care apart from Maryse.

"Excuse me," Breathing in, Maryse pushed her way through a crowd of people in the dance floor and made her way over to the bar, before brushing down her dress and requesting the barman bring her another vodka and cranberry. This guy was so gullible, serving a bunch of kids. Then again, Maryse's powers of seduction weren't childlike in the slightest.

She hated being here alone. Everyone had quite literally segregated into their couples; Eve and Jack, Kofi and Alicia, Rosa and Zack, and now even Brie and Montel and Dolph and Nikki. And who did she have? No-one. It wasn't even like she could find someone; no-one in this club deserved her attention.

"You alright there, baby doll?" The barman asked her. It was dark, so she couldn't examine him properly, but he looked to be an Italian-American guy with a pea head, too much hair gel and muscles that weren't in proportion with the rest of his body.

"Ew," Maryse muttered, picking up her drink and moving away.

"Hey, don't give me that attitude, sweetheart, you're nothin' special!" He called after her. "I can do better than you!"

"Ha! Maybe Snookie's single, because if Jersey Shore's recruiting, you're a shoo-in!" She retorted, before stalking off. The club had booths – probably so the already sexually frustrated couples could get nasty – and Maryse was looking for a little peace.

The blonde let yet another sigh escape from her lips, as she entered one of the booths and sat down, her drink in hand. It took a couple of seconds for her to realise that next to her, there was a couple – she was almost certain they were from the team they defeated earlier that day, St John's, St Jude's... whatever – making out, however this time, Maryse couldn't even be bothered to give them the satisfaction of moving. Instead, she dug her Blackberry out of her clutch bag, and checked her messages.

'_How's San Diego? U missing me? Miz X' _

Maryse smiled; Miz definitely felt as if he was missing out. All of his friends were on the basketball team, yet he wasn't. There was no doubt he'd be pissed off at being left behind. She began replying, _'It's alright, we're out celebrating Bev Hills' victory at-'_

"Excuse me?" The girl of the make-out pair removed her lips from her partners to turn to Maryse. Maryse noted a distinctive British accent. "Do you mind?"

With a roll of her eyes, Maryse left the booth.

* * *

"There you go," Kofi placed a glass of orange juice down in front of Alicia and sat down in a chair of his own next to her. "Didn't you want something stronger?"

"No, I've had a headache all day." This was a blatant lie, but Kofi didn't need to know this. Honestly, Alicia hated alcohol; it made her feel nauseous, be it the smell or the taste, but also, on the few occasions she had been drunk, it hadn't ended well. She became brutally, hurtfully honest, irritatingly loud and she would, for some reason, develop a Southern drawl.

Glancing over at Kofi, Alicia took the chance to observe him whilst his gaze was elsewhere. With a beer in one hand and his cell phone in the other, there was a slightly smile across his face, as he hunched over, texting. She couldn't but wonder what – or who – was making him smile.

"Who're you texting?" She asked, sipping her drink.

"Oh," He jumped, sliding the cell phone into his pocket. "My dad just texted me the Denver Nuggets score."

Alicia knew she should've been able to trust him, he was her boyfriend after all, but something told her he wasn't being entirely honest. "You guys must be happy that you won the final game,"

Kofi began talking, but Alicia wasn't focused on what he was saying, more how he was saying it. She liked to consider herself a psychologist of sorts, perhaps a young Oprah or Tyra. Normally when Kofi spoke about basketball, he was so enthusiastic, but he seemed...bored. It was as if he'd rather be anywhere – or with anyone – but there with his girlfriend. He'd keep his gaze on the back of the beer bottle, instead of on her, despite the fact she'd made an extra effort to make herself look fierce.

Was their relationship over? It was a drastic thought, but something Alicia had been pondering for a while. In the beginning, their relationship had been fun and easy, but the further in they got and the longer they were together, the more distant they became. It wasn't long before they discovered they had very little in common and therefore little to do together; even their sex had become boring. She still liked Kofi and wanted things to work, but she couldn't make him want her.

"Leesh?" He nudged her out of her thoughts, finally looking at her.

"Sorry, I'm exhausted." She rubbed at her eyes, but instantly regretted this, wondering if she now had panda eyes.

"Do you want to go back to the hotel?" This wasn't a sexual invitation, seeing as Kofi was rooming with Montel and Alicia with Eve.

She nodded sleepily, accepting the hand he offered her so he could lead her out of the bar.

It was a short distance from the bar to the hotel – just a couple of cobbled lanes away – but there was a silence between Kofi and Alicia the whole way. Kofi had to hold Alicia's hand, as her new Jimmy Choos weren't appropriate for uneven ground, but Kofi's grip wasn't as it used to be. Once warm and strong, it was now cold and weak; like holding hands with a stranger. Eventually, Alicia just took off her shoes – vowing to carefully wash her feet when she returned to the hotel – released Kofi's grip, and walked with about a metre between the couple, as her hanging shoes slapped against her bare knees.

When they arrived at the hotel, Kofi muttered something about walking Alicia to her room and the pair trudged up two flights of stairs until they reached room 209. "See you in the morning," Kofi gently pressed a kiss against her lips, before walking in the opposite direction, back towards the staircase.

"Kofi? Alicia called after him and he turned around to look at her. "I love you."

It wasn't the first time they'd said it to each other, but it had been a long time since one of them had uttered those words. When she said it, everything about Kofi seemed to drop.

"I love you too,"

They both knew he didn't mean it.

* * *

_What is about drinking that makes everything in life so...awesome? _Eve mused to herself, as she chugged back something called 'Blue Curaçao' that the twins brought along to the club with them. It wasn't all that nice – far too sweet for Eve's liking – but it contained enough liquor to make everyone seem like her best friend and for everything to go into soft focus. Eve was definitely in a celebratory mood.

"I should really give this back to the twins," Eve struggled to remember their names and faces, as she gazed around the slightly blurred room. "Where are they?"

"Brie and Montel are in one of the booths, probably making out and I saw Dolph and Nikki leave about twenty minutes ago for a party of their own." Jack took the bottle out of Eve's hand, and drank some himself. "Oh God, I'm rooming with Dolph!"

Eve laughed lazily, laying her head down on Jack's lap. "Aww, you're not gonna be getting any sleep tonight!"

"I can kick them out. If not, there's a couch in Ryder and TJ's room I could crash on," He leaned over to kiss her firmly on the lips, as Eve placed her hands either side of Jack's face. "Unless you had anything else in mind."

"Mr Swagger!" She mocked disapproval. "You're a bad boy!"

"Is that a no?"

"The night is still young," If Eve stayed this drunk, he'd definitely get her into the sack, and Miz's cash would be his.

"So, maybe you wanna take this into one of the booths?"

Nodding eagerly, Eve let Jack yank her to her feet and wrap his arms around her waist, pushing her across the dance floor. Apparently, any issues concerning her virginity had disappeared – along with the delicate star pendant that had been previously hanging around her neck; where the hell was it? – and whatever happened would happen. She was once so insecure about sex but with all the alcohol in her system, nothing seemed of great importance. The booth was dark, almost pitch black, however Eve and Jack managed to sit themselves down on the couch and start making out.

Regardless of her sex insecurities, Eve had always found Jack to be an amazing kisser. There was always the right combination of lips and tongue and Eve found she barely had to move a muscle; just sit back and let Jack work his magic. His lips moved off hers and grazed across her jaw line, just before tracing a path down her neck, eliciting a low moan from Eve's lips. Even when Jack's fingers touched the zip of her dress, she was too entranced by the butterfly kisses on her collarbone to care. However soon, something was wrong.

One hand rested on her thigh? Fine. Another toying with her zip? Fine. But an elbow digging into her back? That wasn't humanly possible for Jack to do.

"Jack?" Eve whispered into the darkness.

"_What?" _He replied.

"I think there's someone else-"

"_Oh my God! Who is that?" _An ear-piercing shriek filled the room. A British one.

Suddenly feeling very aware of her surroundings, Eve used the dim light of her cell phone screen to find her way to the light switch. When she turned it on, she instantly wished she hadn't.

"Layla?" Ted's girlfriend was sat on another guy's lap – one of the St Jude's basketball players – with her arms around his neck and his hands attached to her ass. Her dress had slipped so one black bra cup was exposed and her lipgloss was smudged and her hair disheveled. If that was what these rooms did to people, Eve feared her own reflection.

Then she remembered Ted's girlfriend making out with someone else.

How was she supposed to tell him?

* * *

Some of you guessed it, but you knew there was something shifty about Layla!  
And are Kofi and Alicia finished?  
Please **review** :):)


	31. Time Is Running Out: Part 1

Chapter 31...

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**TIME IS RUNNING OUT  
PART 1**

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Dragging his suitcase out of the storage area of the coach, Kofi was exhausted. His limbs were like jelly and his eyes felt as if they would drop at any moment. He hadn't slept well at all, despite the soft cotton sheets of the hotel bed; his head had been clouded with thoughts that kept him awake. He sat down on a nearby wall in the school parking lot, his legs suddenly feeling heavy underneath him.

The coach had finally arrived back from San Diego and a few students were waiting around at the school for their parents' arrivals. Jack had his arms wrapped around a hungover Eve as they sat together on the grassy lawn, her frame leaning back against his, and Rosa, Brie and Nikki were squeezed onto a nearby bench, punching into their sidekicks.

When Brie noticed Kofi, she waved him over. "Hey you," Obviously Brie held no hard feelings over Kofi refusing to spend the night in the hotel bathroom with his headphones in whilst Brie and Montel had some fun in the hotel bed.

"I barely saw you at the club last night," Nikki told Kofi, putting her Blackberry into her Coach bag.

"That's because you and Dolph left the club early to go bang in a broom cupboard somewhere."

"Takes one to know one, right? Because you and Montel were keeping it clean as a whistle!" Obviously these kinds of insults were only acceptable because they were sisters and therefore had free passes to rip each other to shreds.

"Guys," Rosa chose to be the mature one. Besides, there was something she'd wanted to ask Kofi. "So Kofi, did you and Alicia have fun last night?"

"Yeah, it was okay." Kofi ended up going back to his hotel room at eleven-ish and speaking to Kelly on the phone for another half hour. Was it wrong he enjoyed their conversation more than the whole night at the club spent with Alicia?

She may not have had book smarts, but Rosa wasn't an idiot. "And things are alright between you guys?" She brushed off the twins ears' obviously – metaphorically - pricking up.

"Why? What has Alicia told you?"

"Nothing," Rosa liked to think she had a sixth sense when it came to relationships. "You guys seemed...distance. That's all. Not as close as you used to be, y'know?" Unfortunately, Kofi believed what Rosa was saying. He knew there were cracks in his relationship with Alicia and as much as they tried to hide it, it was obviously there. Instead of defending himself, he decided to stay silent. "I'm sure you guys will get through it though."

"But what if we don't?" Oops. He hadn't meant to say that aloud.

"So there are problems?" Rosa knew it. Their conversation stopped as a red Ferrari pulled up in the parking lot, and the twins said their goodbyes, before hopping into their mother's ridiculously extravagant car. Once they were gone, she repeated the statement.

"I guess last night I did some thinking and I realised that our relationship may well be over." Another pause, however, as Andrew Kingston came into the parking lot in his car, and Kofi was forced to leave Rosa on the curb. "Don't say anything to Alicia though, yeah?"

Rosa kept her fingers crossed behind her back. "My lips are sealed." She watched as Kofi and Eve dumped their bags into the trunk of Andrew's car, before speeding out of the parking lot. Picking up her Blackberry, she began to text Alicia.

_We need to talk. Free later? R x_

"Great job, son!" Andrew called to Kofi in the back seat. "I'm a proud dad right now."

"Thanks," Kofi muttered, shutting his eyes.

"You must be exhausted," Kofi didn't have to reply to his father, as from the passenger seat, Eve went into an elaborate description of the 'meal' everyone went out for the previous night – considerably bending the truth – but Kofi's mind wasn't there. The excitement he'd previously felt over the basketball victory had disappeared and been replaced by something indescribable.

His relationship with Alicia was over and there was nothing he could do to save it.

* * *

Walking up Ted's driveway, Eve felt sick.

She still hadn't gotten over what she'd seen at the club. Sleep hadn't been an option the previous, instead spent the night tossing and turning, thinking about Ted. Jack hadn't been much help, just telling her it wasn't in her control, and she'd have to let it go. What was she meant to do? How was she supposed to tell Ted she saw his girlfriend making out with another guy? If she kept it a secret, she'd be hiding the truth from her best friend; that wouldn't be fair. But if she told him the truth, she'd break his heart; that wasn't fair either.

Pressing her finger against the doorbell, the loud ring sent Riggs into a frenzy, his frantic barking audible from outside. Eve smiled; she loved Riggs. Through the frosted glass, she saw Ted calming the dog, picking him up and carrying him over to the doorway.

"Hey," Ted allowed him to kiss him on the cheek and then ruffle Riggs' coat. "I was just about to take Riggs for a walk. Wanna tag along?"

"Sure," She watched as Ted put Riggs on a lead before closing the front door and beginning to walk down the street. It was adorable to Eve how much Ted loved his dog Riggs.

"So how was San Diego?"

"The first couple of days were a little boring, but we won the game in the end, and on the last night, everyone went out to a club."

"Hungover?"

"A little," Lies. Her head was killing her.

"Sure," Ted winked, knowing her all too well. The pair had to stop walking, as Riggs began growling at a nearby dog. "Easy, Riggs!" Ted tugged lightly at the lead, forcing the dog along. "So it was a fun trip?"

"I've never been to San Diego before, so it was fun."

"Did you see Layla?" He casually slipped his girlfriend into the conversation.

"Actually, I did. That's kinda why I came over." This wasn't going to be easy.

"Oh yeah?"

"I don't really know how I'm supposed to say this-"

"In words," He responded sarcastically. "Or you could draw a picture. Although your drawing skills aren't the best."

"Layla...I saw her...she was..." Why wasn't it coming out? She'd lost the ability to form normal sentences. Eve could feel herself blushing, and Ted shooting her confused looks.

"Come on, Eve, Riggs is getting restless." Ted was joking, but she knew when he found out the truth, he'd be furious.

"I saw Layla making out with another guy."

Everything stopped. Almost like Beverly Hills knew what had just been said. The flow of traffic stopped and the roads emptied. Even Riggs stopped barking and running, stopping to sit by Ted's feet quietly. Ted himself looked straight at Eve but it was as if he couldn't quite comprehend what she was saying, as if she were speaking a foreign language. "What?" His voice was a whisper.

"I'm sorry, Ted." Eve wasn't much louder. "In the club, she was sat on another guy's lap and they were making out-"

"No, I heard what you said." He stopped her. "I just...I don't get it. Layla's my girlfriend, she wouldn't do that."

"I wish it wasn't true but she did, and you deserve better-"

"Better? Who? You?" He snapped. Ted didn't want to be around her anymore and he snapped, storming down the street with Riggs by his side.

Eve ran along next to him. "What're you talking about?"

"Face it, Eve. Ever since Layla and I got together, you've been jealous because I haven't been at your beck and call and you miss having all the attention."

"You really think that's the case?" Eve yelled at him, suddenly overcome by fury. There were tears forming at the back of her eyes, but she did her best to keep them there.

"I _know_ that's the case." He matched her in loudness. "Why do you need me anyway? You've got Jack!"

"Ted, what the hell has gotten into you? This is about Layla, not us."

Ted shook his head, laughing at her. "What is it about you, Eve? Always the victim, never does anything wrong, everyone else is the bad guy. You don't even see the way you manipulate people! You're with Jack despite the fact you have mixed feelings about him and I don't even know why you're friends with me!"

"Because I like you." Eve whispered.

"Is it because I pay you attention? Is it because I'm the pushover that has to listen to you complain about how your perfect life isn't so perfect? Is it because you think you're not like the other shallow cheerleaders, so you hang around with a nobody like me so you can convince yourself you're a good person?"

It was Eve's turn to snap and with one quick jerk of her hand, she'd delivered a hard slap to his face. Just the sound of it sent Riggs into a barking state.

Eve didn't attempt to hide her tears anymore, sobbing as she said, "You couldn't be more wrong! I'm friends with you because I thought you were a genuinely nice person in a city of fake people and I thought you understood me. But if that's what you think about me, then you don't know me at all."

Neither one said anything, as Ted's expression was blank and Eve swallowed back her tears. She sniffed a couple of times, silently praying her nose wouldn't start running. For someone who was usually so mild-mannered and calm, exploding in such a way was almost a relief.

"So have you got anything else to say? Anymore assumptions about me?"

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

"I guess that's it then," Eve and Ted walked in opposite directions but as Eve turned around, she was sad to see him keep on walking.

* * *

Basically, this is 'Part 1' because this chapter sets up everything that happens in the next chapter.  
Chapter 32 will have one (possibly) predictable twist and one you hopefully won't see coming...  
So will Kofi end things with Alicia?  
And will Ted and Eve make up?  
And where will Jack and Kelly come into both relationships?  
Please **review** and you'll find out ;)

Xx


	32. Time Is Running Out: Part 2

How quick was this update? Haha!  
I couldn't wait to write this chapter, ever since I started this fic, this was the chapter I was waiting for!  
Hope you enjoy chapter 32 - which is a little longer than usual ones :)

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**TIME IS RUNNING OUT  
PART 2**

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There hadn't been a point in her life when Eve had felt so heartbroken. Sure, it had only been a day since she and Ted had left things on horrible terms, yet she was struggling to function without him. After coming home from her walk in floods of tears, she'd buried herself under a pile of duvet covers, scrolled through old text messages he'd sent her and pretty much drenching her pillow in tears. Kofi had sloped off out somewhere – he'd been acting weird ever since he got home from San Diego – and with the parents at work, she could cry in peace. Only a visit from Jack had pulled her out from under her covers, but even then, she hadn't moved off her bed.

Was losing a friend supposed to be this painful? Eve thought back on when she found out she was moving from Denver to Beverly Hills and she broke the news to her best friend and next door neighbour Brooke. The pair shed some tears and ate some Cookie Dough ice cream, but they moved on; definitely not a reaction this drastic. Had Eve actually lost Ted? Friends had arguments all the time, but they said things that were unforgiveable. At least, things Ted said. If _that_ was really how he saw her, she wondered why the hell he bothered to spend any time with her at all. She _wasn't_ like that.

"There you go," Jack came back into her bedroom and placed the cup of coffee she'd requested on her bedside table. "You sure you didn't want any milk in that?"

Eve shook her head, sipping the liquid and feeling it tingle at the back of her throat.

Watching his girlfriend, Jack didn't understand why she was so upset. In his eyes, DiBiase was a douche bag, and getting rid of him was the best move she could've made. And besides, the less she was thinking about Ted, the more she was thinking about Jack. In San Diego, he'd been so close to getting her into bed and if it weren't for DiBiase – well, DiBiase's cheating girlfriend – he'd definitely have got her. It was nearly spring break; time was running out on the bet. There was no reason for Eve to be around Ted, and now he was out of the picture, Eve was all Jack's.

The sound of her cell phone ringing was like a knee jerk reaction for the Latina, who quickly leaned over, only to start crying when she saw it was only Nikki, and not who she hoped it would be.

"Come here," Jack pulled Eve in close to him, so he could feel her tears soaking through his t-shirt. "He's not worth crying over."

"He's one of my best friends; I don't want to lose him like this!" She sobbed, briefly pulling away and using the sleeve of her sweater to wipe at her eyes. "It was all done in the heat of the moment, and I-"

"You shouldn't have to make excuses for him. He said some hurtful stuff, and it's not your fault." Obviously, Eve had left out certain aspects of her encounter with Ted, for the sake of her _other_ important relationship.

After receiving a crying phone call from Eve, Jack decided to fulfil his boyfriend duties and rush straight over. He'd been a wonderful help to Eve, allowing her to cry on his shoulder and to go get her anything she needed from her kitchen.

"You must think I'm stupid," She muttered, resting her head in the crook of his arm. "Crying over Ted like this."

"'Course not. Like you said, he's one of your best friends," Jack tried to be as sympathetic as possible. "I need to use the bathroom, but I'll be back in a bit."

When he returned a minute later, Eve was stood up, looking out of her bedroom window down onto the garden below. Her eyes were still cloudy, but at least there were no tears.

"Hey, you're stood up," Jack stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing a kiss on top of her head. "That's a good start."

Eve spun around so she was looking up at him. "Do you want to do something tomorrow night?"

"Sure. What're you thinking? Movie? Or dinner-?"

"No, I mean..._tomorrow night._" She paused, and Jack could see the glow in her eyes. "Overnight. If you know what I mean."

Jack had to hold back the grin that was about to appear on his face. Was he imagining this? Was Eve suggesting that they _finally_ have sex? It was all his Christmas' and birthdays in one and would finally wipe the smirk that had been so present on Miz's face for the past couple of weeks. "Are you sure?"

Eve nodded, resting her head against his chest, his steady heartbeat against her ear.

"I'll make it good for you, Eve. I promise."

* * *

From the minute she received a '_We need to talk_' text from Kofi, Alicia knew something was wrong.

She looked across her coffee table at him. He'd barely said two words since he'd arrived, only thanked the Fox family's housekeeper for getting him a drink and stared out of the window at their newly landscaped garden.

"So...what's going on?" Alicia calmly asked, sipping from her glass of water. She knew _exactly_ why he was here, but she needed to hear it from him.

"We need to talk,"

"You said that over text," She commented. "Besides, I don't want us to waste time saying things we don't need to say." Alicia was sick of messing around. Kofi was playing her for a fool and she was getting sick of it.

San Diego had been exactly the wakeup call Alicia needed. She'd gotten an excellent night's sleep in the hotel and the coach journey home had given her all the thinking space in the world. She and Kofi were over and there was nothing she could do to stop it. On the other hand, if she was going to go out, she was going to do so with dignity and an iron fist.

Kofi was taken aback. "Okay-"

"You want to end things between us." She continued, finally looking him in the eye. If they were going to break up, she had to be strong about it "You honestly thought you could tell Rosa that we were having problems and she'd keep it a secret? There's a reason I don't tell those girls everything about my love life."

"She's one of your best friends, I thought maybe I could-"

"Thought maybe you could what? Find out what I was thinking? You're my boyfriend; you should be able to come to me about this kind of thing!" After receiving a phone call from Rosa the previous afternoon, alerting her that her boyfriend had expressed doubts over their relationship, Alicia had pretty much been waiting around for him to say the same things to her. "Why can't you just be honest with me, Kofi?"

"I don't know," He admitted. "I guess I didn't say anything for a while because if I said it aloud, it would make the problems we have real."

"And what are those problems?"

"C'mon Leesh, we both know we have nothing in common," Kofi had the nerve to laugh. "When we're together...it's not fun anymore. For either of us. We're like two strangers in a relationship; it's not right."

"Can I ask you something?" She shuffled on the sofa, anxiously. "Where does Kelly Carlyle come into this?"

"Kelly?" It was as if he came to life in that moment, his head snapping up. "What does Kelly have to do with us? Kelly and I are friends, but ever since I've arrived at this school, everyone's warned me off Kelly. She's a nice girl-"

"She's a whore!"

"You don't have a clue!" Kofi knew he was supposed to keep schtum, but he was sick of listening to people degrading her. "She was raped! She was fucking raped, had a miscarriage and never told anyone at school because she didn't want sympathy and pity from anyone. Instead, she puts up with shit rumours everyday and she's the strongest girl I know because of it."

Alicia, who'd fallen into a deathly silence, pursed her lips together, thinking about what Kofi said. "You like her, don't you?"

"No! Kelly and I are friends, and she plays no part in our relationship or our break up!"

"So we _are_ breaking up?"

"Well, I certainly can't deal with this anymore," Kofi got to his feet, and began walking out. "I like you, Alicia, I think you're a great girl, but us...it doesn't work. There is no us."

"You don't even want to try and work through it?" She followed him over to the doorway where he stood. "Should we at least-"

"No!" He said again. "Our relationship...this city...it's all just drama that I can't deal with!"

"Stop pushing me away and let's work through it together!" Alicia gripped his muscular forearms, his skin warm under her hands. She came into the break-up strong, but the closer they came to ending, the more she realised she didn't want it to happen. "I love you, Kofi. I don't want things to end between us."

"But I do, and there's two people in this relationship," Kofi kissed her on the cheek, before walking out of the house, however as he did, he could hear Alicia calling after him.

"_You're wrong! There's three people; you, me and Kelly freakin' Carlyle!" _

_

* * *

_

Planning her outfit for the following evening proved to be a stressful task, and standing in front of her mirror, Eve suddenly felt very self-conscious of herself. Did she look okay? Was she wearing enough make-up? Was her hair too...done? Was her new dress too trashy? It didn't matter anyway, it's not as if she'd be wearing the dress for long...

Eve couldn't help but wonder if she'd made a mistake in agreeing to sleep with Jack. He was so sweet when it came to comforting her over Ted, she just saw a kinder side to him. And besides, she _almost_ did it in San Diego and she was drunk then. At least in this situation, she'd be sober and in control of what she did. As in control as a virgin who had no idea what she was doing could be, anyway.

The only thing that could pull her away from her worrying thoughts was the sound of the doorbell. She didn't particularly feel like seeing anyone, but her parents were out still and Kofi had virtually disappeared off the face of the earth, so she had no choice but to answer. Slipping off her heels, she ran downstairs and glanced through the frosted glass to see who it was.

"I'm probably the last person you wanted to see, aren't I?" Ted said once Eve opened the door.

"No, but you are the last person I expected to see." She knew she should've been angry with him. Furious, in fact, but she wasn't. "Do you want to come in?"

Ted nodded, waiting by her side as Eve led him up to her bedroom. Once they were there, he observed her short black dress. "Sorry, did I catch you at a bad time?"

"No, I was just trying on a new dress," She instantly felt very stupid, being so dressed up whilst home alone. "You like it?"

"You look beautiful." He sat down on her bed with his back to the wall and sighed deeply.

Eve sat down next to him, so their shoulders were touching. "What's on your mind?"

"Layla. And you." Ted turned to look at her. "I went round to see her earlier today and I asked her if she cheated on me."

"And?"

"I had no choice but to break up with her. She didn't admit it at first, she denied it actually, but her phone was filled with texts from some guy called Alex." Ted laughed, but it was filled with sadness. "Looks like that night in the club wasn't a one-off."

"Oh, Ted, I'm so sorry," Eve slung an arm around his shoulder, wrapping him in a half hug and resting her head on his shoulder. "You might not like me saying it, but when I said Layla didn't deserve you, I meant it."

"Why is it I can never get the girl?" He didn't look at Eve, instead straight out ahead. She didn't know he was talking about her, and he didn't want her to find out. "I'm doing all I can, but-"

"Shh," Eve pressed a finger against Ted's lips, unaware of what effect this had on him. "You don't even realise how wonderful you are and any girl that ends up with you is the luckiest girl in the world."

"I'm sorry about the stuff I said," Ted hated sucking up his pride, but he couldn't fall out with Eve. "I didn't mean any of it. I was just mad about Layla and I didn't want to believe what you said. I wanted to hurt you but you don't deserve that. Just forget everything I said; it was all lies. You're not a bad person Eve; you don't have a bad bone in your body."

"You know how to make a girl blush, DiBiase." Eve giggled.

"And the stuff about you and Jack...it was all stupid. I don't know about your relationship with Jack, and I have no right to judge it-"

"I'm having sex with Jack tomorrow night." She had to tell someone, even if was going to be awkward. The whole situation was bubbling inside her and she needed to get it off her chest. And who better than the person she cared about the most in the world. "And it'll be my first time."

"You're a virgin?" Ted was shocked.

"Wow, don't make a big deal about it or anything." Eve commented sarcastically. Why was her virginity such a big deal in this city? People found out and they acted as if it was a crime. "It's not something that makes me self-conscious!" More sarcasm.

"Sorry, I just assumed with Jack's reputation...y'know." A part of Ted felt relieved that Eve was vaguely untouched by her boyfriend. She was suddenly beautifully pure; like an angel.

"It's fine." Eve nodded, getting off the bed, suddenly unable to look at Ted. "You've had sex before, right? Is it normal to feel...self-conscious? Your first time, I mean. Were you scared?"

"A little." Ted thought carefully about his answer. "It's probably different for guys and girls, because girls have hormones and all that shit, but yeah, it's a little scary. If you're with someone you care about, and you know they're going to take care of you then you have no need to worry." Jack wouldn't take care of her. Not the way he would.

"I'm scared, Ted." Eve admitted, biting her lip as she looked up at him. "I don't want to get hurt."

"You won't," Ted got to his feet and stood so he and Eve were face-to-face and the distance between them was minimal. "Sex is a big deal though, and if you're not ready to do it with Jack, you shouldn't. Sex is a good thing, and it's there to make you feel good."

"You sound like a health class video," Eve tried to lighten the mood as she suddenly felt things become very heated.

"Shut up," He nudges her lightly, a grin on her face. "It's your first time. It should be special, with someone that's going to make it good for you."

"So make it good for me." They were stood body-to-body, and Eve could feel Ted's breathing get deeper, echoing in her ear. Her own heart was speeding up at an erratic pace.

"What?" Ted tilted her head up so he was staring into her brown eyes.

"You've had sex before so you know what you're doing." She said quietly, unable to believe these words were coming out of her mouth. "As my best friend, I need you to help me. Just for tonight; teach me everything. I know you'll look after me."

Ted couldn't believe what he was hearing, and even more confusing, he didn't know how he felt. She wanted to have sex with him, but he didn't want it to just be for the one night. Ted wanted Eve forever; could he just let her go again?

"Ted," Eve's hands were on his sides and her eyes glowing. "Please,"

"Okay," He whispered. The pair stood stiffly for a couple of seconds, until he decided to bite the bullet. He leaned over to kiss her on the mouth, and he realised why he'd fallen for her. She tasted of chocolate and lipgloss, and her lips were soft and sweet; was this really happening? How had he lasted this long without her touch?

Eve could feel herself loosening. Jack's kisses were good, but Ted was so sweet, so gentle; it was as if he loved her and never wanted to let her go. His hands tangled in her brown locks, and just the feeling of his body against hers made her melt.

"You sure you want to do this?" Ted briefly broke the kiss, his hand now stroking at the back of her neck, his warm fingers sending good shivers down Eve's spine.

"Yes," Her voice came out shaky and scared, but she was anything but. She was excited, and she knew Ted would take care of her.

To prove her confidence, she took the hem of Ted's t-shirt and pulled it over his head, before pressing her body against his once more, his rock-hard abs digging against the thin fabric of her dress. Ted walked behind Eve and found the zip at the back of her dress, carefully undoing it and letting the flimsy black fabric drop to the ground. Eve thought about all the times Jack had touched any under-clothed skin, and how it scared her, but with Ted, it was intimate and caring. The kissing started again, and Eve carefully discarded any more clothing of hers and Ted's, as well as any thought of Jack from her mind.

She allowed Ted to manoeuvre her over to the bed, and to lie on top of her. His weight should've been heavy, but instead, it was nice, comfortable and warm. Delicately, Ted laced his fingers around the sides of Eve's underwear and carefully slid them down her legs, making her shudder deliciously.

"It's okay," He pressed a delicate butterfly kiss on her lips. "I'm not going to hurt you."

And as she felt her virginity disappear out of the window, Eve believed him.

* * *

Ohhh, you can't tell me you saw that coming, can you? :):) I'm actually grinning like an idiot as I write this!  
So, Eve and Ted... was it a one time thing? Will she go back to Jack?  
And don't forget Kofi and Alicia... now they're over, what's going to happen with Kelly?  
Please **review** and tell me what you think, my lovely readers :):) Xx


	33. Worst Case Scenario

Chapter 33 :)

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**WORST CASE SCENARIO **

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**

As Ted woke up and sat upright, the first thing he realised was that there was an Eve-shaped gap in the bed next to him. She couldn't have gone very far, considering _he_ was in _her_ house and therefore the chances of her pulling a runner were few and far. The curtains were slightly pulled, so there was a thin line of white light, brightening the room and Ted winced if he looked directly at it.

Settling his head back onto the pillow, the smell of her berry shampoo was etched into the fabric, bringing back every memory of the previous evening. A smile fell onto Ted's face; it had been perfect. Everything Ted would've wanted it to be, and more. It wasn't just sex, it was intimate and special. For just that night, Eve was his and he did everything in himself to make sure her first time was special.

He grinned. If Cody heard him saying something like that, he'd lose any credibility he once had.

The bedroom door creaked open and in came Eve, wearing Ted's t-shirt and a pair of girl boxers. Her curls were messily ruffled and her make-up-less face had a glow to it. How was it possible for one girl to be so beautiful? Holding a tray which contained two bowls, a couple of boxes of cereal and a pint of milk, Eve rested the tray on her bedside table and got back into bed next to Ted.

"Good morning," She said softly, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek. "I didn't want to wake you but I couldn't let you go hungry."

"Sex and breakfast? Marry me, Eve Torres?" He joked, receiving the bowl she handed him and filling it with _Cap'n Crunch_.

"Very funny," Eve rolled her eyes, lolling over and resting her weight against his.

The pair continued to eat their cereal in companionable silence, listening to the quiet music of Eve's radio as they did so. Ted couldn't help but grin as he noticed Eve trying to both mouth along with the words whilst chewing her way through her _Lucky Charms_. She was so adorable.

"What?" Eve offered a grin of her own upon seeing Ted's.

"Nothing," Ted smirked, finishing up his bowl and placing it back on the tray. He sat back in bed, leaning against the wall and he felt Eve sit shoulder-to-shoulder with him.

"I wanted to thank you for last night," Her smile softened, showing fewer teeth, but still as beautiful. "I know I don't really have anything to compare it to, but it was...amazing. You're..." Her voice faded away, but she made up for it by placing a kiss on Ted's lips.

"Amazing?"

"Yeah, you are."

"So did you want to do something today?" Ted asked, lacing her fingers through Eve's, noticing how her hand fit into his like a glove. "Actually, scratch that, I told Cody I'd go with him to look at new cars,"

"Didn't he _just_ get a car?"

"Yeah, but when his brother Dustin came into town and took it for a spin, Cody woke up the next morning to be told his car was at the impound lot." Ted paused. "Needless to say Dustin's the bad news brother."

"Ouch,"

"Right," Ted agreed. "So today's not good, but what about tonight? Me, you and Cody, a trip to the Multiplex, I'll even pay for the popcorn-"

"Ted!" Eve shot him a look that was fifty percent amusement and fifty percent surprise. "You know I can't do tonight. I'm going over to Jack's house."

And then reality hit. For a little while, Ted had completely forgotten about Jack Swagger because for a little while, he'd convinced himself that Eve Torres was his and his alone. After the previous night, how could she possibly just leave and go back to Jack? It was devastating.

"Right, I forgot," Ted pushed aside his bowl of cereal. Suddenly, it tasted a little more sour.

* * *

The sound of the doorbell ringing awoke Kelly from the most peaceful sleep she'd had in a very long time and it wasn't even in her own bed. It was a Saturday morning so her little brother Jake was sleeping over at a friend's house and her mother was working the night shift at the hospital and had not yet arrived home, this leaving Kelly the house to herself. Her evening had been spent with a takeout pizza and a collection of DVDs, resulting in her passing out in front of the TV, bloated with food.

"I'm coming!" She shouted at the second bell, rolling off the sofa bed in the living room and making her way to the front door. "Kofi."

She suddenly felt very aware of the fact she was wearing her hair in scruffy bun and her body clad in pyjamas, but he didn't look much better either. He looked exhausted, completely drained of sleep and emotion. He was even wearing the same clothes as she'd seen him in the day before, except now the shirt was crumpled and the jeans creased.

Unsure of what to say, Kelly held open the door for him to come inside. "What's up?"

"Alicia and I broke up yesterday." He admitted, making his way into the living room and sitting down on the edge of the sofa bed, the duvet arching around his mid section and a scattering of food packaging around his feet. "For good."

"I'm...I'm sorry." Kelly certainly didn't see that coming. She knew she should've been happy but all she felt was overwhelming sympathy for Kofi. Sitting down next to him, she placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. "What happened?"

"It wasn't much of a shock," He replied. "I think we'd both been thinking about it for awhile, I was just the one that instigated it. And I wish I could be upset about it, but I'm not."

"Well, you don't exactly look cheery either." Kelly commented with a smile. "What's on your mind?"

He sighed and turned to look Kelly in the eyes. "Did I ever tell you about my ex-girlfriend Danielle?"

Kelly shook her head, secretly wondering if she wanted to hear this story or not.

"Danielle was my girlfriend back in Colorado," He explained. "We got together at the beginning of sophomore year and we were inseparable. It was like, I didn't just gain a girlfriend but I gained a best friend. We broke up when I left Colorado because neither of us wanted a long-distance relationship but I wasn't really ready for things to end. She was beautiful and funny and sure, she wasn't exactly the brightest spark in the box, but she was so sweet it made up for it. But we were both strong willed and stubborn and we'd fight all the time. We'd make each other so mad."

"But you guys stayed together for a year?"

"Because we were in love and those positives outweigh the negatives. Sure, the bad times were bad but the good times were better. Couples fall out but you've gotta stick it out. What is it they say about going through the rain to get to the rainbow?"

"If you think love's worth fighting for, then why aren't you trying to make things work with Alicia?"

"Because it's not love." He admitted, almost smiling as he said it. "I never wanted to admit it, but Alicia was a rebound. I thought dating someone else would take my mind off Danielle, which it did, but it also showed me that maybe I'm just not ready for another relationship."

Kelly felt her heart sink into her stomach like a stone in the sea. Why was she so upset? Obviously Kofi had some emotional baggage and he was fresh out of a relationship, certainly not ready to jump into one with her. And why did she automatically feel she could go out with her? For all she knew, he didn't feel the same way as she felt about him.

"So did you want to do something today? Or should we-"

"Actually, I'm gonna have to take a rain check." Kelly muttered, quickly. "I've got a big essay due on Monday and I planned to get started early."

She quickly showed Kofi to the door and closed the door gently behind her, before sliding down the wooden frame.

* * *

Eve remembered the first time she walked up Jack's driveway and how nervous and intimidated she'd been. Not just by the sheer size of the house but by Jack himself.

Now? She felt empowered.

She remembered reading in one of her magazines that that was what sex did to you. And it was true. After spending the night with Ted, she felt so much more confident about her relationship with Jack. All those worries she once had about losing her virginity were gone and it was all thanks to one of her best friends. It hadn't hurt. Well, it hurt a little at first, but once you got used to it, it was...nice. Ted was a gentleman and Eve knew he'd take care of her, which was why she'd asked him. Maybe what she did was 'cheating' but if anything, Jack should be thankful that Eve would finally be ready to have sex with him.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't be that night.

Turns out her parents booked a restaurant table for a family meal to celebrate the San Diego victory and didn't think Eve going to see Jack was a good enough excuse for her to get out of it. Besides, Jack had waited a good couple of months for Eve so he wouldn't have any problem waiting another couple of days.

"Hey, is Jack around?" Eve greeted Jack's maid when she opened the door.

"Hello Miss Torres," The housekeeper, now familiar with the girlfriend, often greeted Eve with a smile. She didn't even call up for Jack anymore, Eve could just go straight upstairs. "Jack is upstairs, you may go straight up,"

"Thanks," Eve scaled the long marble staircase before walking the corridor down to Jack's room. She didn't mention he already had friends round, as the sound of voices floated from the bedroom.

"_I told you guys, I can't come tonight," _She instantly recognised Jack's Oklahoma drawl, a trait he picked up from his parents.

"_But this is Torrie Wilson's party!" _Yep, Miz was there. "_Not only is she a college senior who said we could be at her party, but she's smokin' hot!" _

"_Yeah, that's exactly why I'm going." _And Maryse's sarcastic French drawl. "_Why aren't you coming?" _

"_Tonight's the night." _She stopped outside Jack's bedroom door, removing her hand from the handle. Their voices were now extremely clear and her own actions quiet so they wouldn't be able to hear her.

"_No way!" _

"_Oh my God!" _

"_That's right, Mizanin, your money's mine." _Eve froze. "_A deal's a deal. You said I wouldn't be able to get Eve to sleep with me before spring break, and I think you'll find it's now February. I'm gonna seal the deal with a month to spare so start warming up your wallet for me." _

* * *

Uh oh... Eve knows! Cliffhanger alert!  
Find out her reaction in the next chapter :)  
And it's heartbreak for Ted & Kelly.  
Also, would you like to see our three 'bad guys' Maryse, Jack & Miz return for the sequel?  
Let me know in the **review! **


	34. Deal Breaker

Chapter 34 :)

* * *

**DEAL BREAKER**

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* * *

**

Of course, she knew she couldn't, Eve wanted to break down and cry. Right there and then, outside Jack Swagger's bedroom. She wanted her knees to buckle underneath her so she could curl up into a small ball, stick her fingers in her ears and block out what they said.

But she couldn't.

Her sadness and emotion had been overtaken by rage and in a blind fury, she pushed open the door and Jack's room and went for her boyfriend, clawing and screeching like a caged animal. Jovita would probably call the police at any minute as 'the pretty girl goes crazy'. It was the kind of thing that had to be seen to believed; how could such a calm person flip out and become so scary?

"How could you?" She screamed, one perfectly manicured nail scratching a line down Jack's face so a tiny trickle of blood ran down his face. "You're supposed to be my boyfriend! How could you do this to me?"

Jack was reeling back on the bed in shock, unsure of how to react. He put up his arms so his face was no longer at risk, but Eve was relentless, now scratching his forearms. Maryse was no help, stood in the corner of Jack's room, fearful that Eve might turn on her so it was up to Miz to grab Eve by the waist and attempt to drag her off his best friend. It was a flawed plan, however, as an elbow to Miz's cheek sent him falling backwards.

Suddenly, as quickly as she'd flipped out, Eve managed to compose herself. _You're better than these people, _she told herself, _don't lower yourself to their level._

But she was devastated. Her boyfriend, the man she was supposed to trust, had been lying to her. He'd been using her, making bets at her expense, laughing behind her back. Was it even possible for her to have a civil reaction to that?

Pushing her hair off of her face, Eve took a couple of deep breaths before looking over at Jack. "How could you?" This time, her voice was little more than a whisper. "Why would you do this to me?" She instantly hated herself for beginning to cry. "I was stood outside that whole time, listening to you degrade me! Maybe sex isn't a big deal to you guys, but it is to me. Does that mean you think you can make money off of me?"

Jack got to his feet from his bed, walking towards his girlfriend, "Eve-"

"Nothing you say will make this better." She told him. "Even if they hooked you up to a lie detector and told me you were lying, I probably still wouldn't believe you." Was it possible to fall out of love _this_ quickly?

"The bet was my idea, Eve." In some ways, Eve respected Miz for trying to take some of the blame off Jack. Maybe there was a decent bone somewhere in his body. "It's not all his fault."

"But he agreed to it and that's just as bad. Someone gave him the option and he _chose_ to do it." Eve turned to Maryse who'd been unusually quiet throughout. "And you knew about this the whole time?"

Maryse nodded.

"I get it. Maybe going out with Jack wasn't the most sensitive thing of me-"

"You can say that again,"

"You told me you were okay with it!" Eve exclaimed. "Besides, what you did to me was so much worse than me dating Jack.

"I never claimed to be an angel, Eve. When I found out what these guys were doing, I thought it was hilarious. I wanted you to get hurt. I wanted Jack to hurt you the way he hurt me when _we_ broke up."

Furious, the two cheerleaders lunged at each other, scratching and pulling at each other's hair. Normally, Jack and Miz would've relished watching a chick fight but they knew they had to step in, with Miz holding back Eve and Jack doing the same to Maryse.

Eve screamed, attempting to free herself from Miz, but his grasp was stronger this time. "You're a bitch!"

"I know! But so are you!" The blonde yelled back. "Unlike you, I don't claim to be nice! You're just like me, Eve. We're more alike than you think."

"I'm nothing like you."

"Oh? So you don't lead DiBiase on?" Maryse was going to make this as personal as possible because Eve had nothing against her. "The boy longs for you and you're just giving him false hope."

"Why're you bringing Ted into this?"

"Because, sweetie," Jack loosened his grip on Maryse so the head cheerleader could wriggle free. She looked at Jack, then at Miz and back at Eve with an easy smile. "I'm a bitch."

Finding everything spinning around her, Eve prayed she wouldn't faint. Voices were clogging up her head; Maryse, Jack, Ted. How had she got herself into this situation? How could she go from feeling on top of the world to at her lowest ebb?

"We're done," She said eventually to Jack. "You and me. We're done. I loved you but..." Her voice just disappeared as she looked over at Maryse. "And don't expect to see me at cheerleading practise. I'll save you a job and pull myself from the team."

* * *

Two tubs of Ben & Jerry's, a box of tissues and a stack of tear-jerker DVDs; Kelly had her heartbreak kit on hand as she walked from her own house to Eve's. She'd spent the day dwelling over her own feelings so it'd be a nice change to dwell over someone else's.

"Oh, hi Kelly," Eve's mom Carol answered the door, almost surprised. "Did Eve invite you over? We all went out for dinner but she wasn't herself. Then we get home and she tells me she and Jack have broken up! I'm sure she'll be glad to see you." So that's what the problem was, Kelly thought as she walked up the stairs to Eve's bedroom. All she'd received was an SOS message, telling her she needed to come over ASAP.

"Eve?" Kelly tapped on the door of her friend's bedroom. She didn't wait for an answer, instead opening the door to a sad sight. Eve was sat on her bed, cross-legged, in her sweats, tearfully flicking through a pile of photos of her and Jack.

The Latina looked up at her friend with watering eyes. "Kells, it's over!"

"Sweetie, it's gonna be okay," Kelly sat on the bed next to her friend and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Do you wanna tell me about it?"

Whilst Kelly pulled out the first tub of ice-cream and grabbed a couple of spoons, Eve recounted recent events; San Diego, agreeing to sleep with Jack and then sleeping with Ted, finding out about the bet and leaving Jack and the squad. Kelly felt heartbroken just listening to it. Eve was such a wonderful, sweet girl; what did she do to deserve that?

"What're you gonna do about it?" Kelly asked, sticking a spoonful of Brownie Batter into her mouth.

"I dunno," Eve shrugged. "I haven't planned anything because I'm too busy feeling sorry for myself."

"Hey, what Jack did to you was shitty. You have every right to be upset." She paused, putting down the spoon. "But can I ask you something? Where does Ted fit into all of this?"

"What do you mean?" Eve frowned.

"Well, you _did_ sleep with him, Eve. And maybe Maryse is right in saying he has feelings for you-"

"I can't even think of that right now," Eve quickly wiped her tears away using the back of her hand. "Ted will have to wait because I've got my own problems to sort out."

Kelly nodded sympathetically. "I can't offer you much right now. Will a drink suffice?"

Eve chuckled throatily through her tears. "There's a litre bottle of Dr Pepper in the fridge and a couple of glasses in the cupboard next to it."

"Awesome." The blonde got up and went downstairs into the kitchen. She walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out the bottle, before pouring two glasses. She didn't want to leave Eve for too long, otherwise the brunette would probably start crying again and look at some more photos of Jack, which was not good for-

"Oh, hey." Her head snapped over to the doorway where Kofi was stood. "I didn't realise you were here."

Having a crush on your best friend's brother meant bumping him into situations when you definitely didn't want to. "Yeah, well, Eve asked me to come over."

"How is she?" After hearing of his sister and Jack's break up, Kofi decided he'd keep a safe distance. Two break-ups in one house wasn't exactly creating a positive atmosphere.

"Not good," Kelly said truthfully. "But she'll get over it. We all do."

Kofi nodded.

"And how're you?"

"Like you said, I'll get over it." His hands were jammed into his pockets and an awkward smile sat on his face. "I should probably let you get back to Eve."

"Right," Kelly picked up the two glasses of Dr Pepper before disappearing out of the room. Halfway up the stairs, she stopped and sat down on one of the steps; who was she to offer Eve relationship advice when she couldn't make sense of her own feelings?

When the sound of Kelly's footsteps on the stairs died away, Kofi sat down on one of the chairs in the kitchen. His feelings were all over the place but there was one thing he'd known for a long time. Something he'd been trying to deny, but couldn't.

He'd fallen for Kelly.

* * *

Drama, as usual :)  
There's going to be 38 chapters in total, meaning there's 4 left for me to write.  
And then of course, the sequel which I'm excited to write !  
Please **review** :)


	35. Head Up, Heart Down

New chapter!

* * *

**HEAD UP, HEART DOWN**

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**

Was it possible to become completely invisible? Pulling up to school in her car, Eve spent a couple of minutes sat silently in the driver's seat, contemplating whether she should just turn the car around.

No, she told herself. She couldn't put off going to school, her education wouldn't suffer because of her personal life. She thought back a couple of months to when she rejected Jack and didn't come into school full-stop. Running away didn't help matters then – if anything, it made it worse - and it wouldn't help this time.

With a deep breath, she applied a fresh coat of lipgloss, ran her fingers through her tousled curls and got out of the car, locking it in the process. She was five minutes late so classes had began and the parking lot was almost totally empty, allowing her to begin her walk in peace. When she got inside, the school halls were also reasonably empty, only a scattering of hall monitors telling her she needed to get her ass into gear. The lingering students would glance in her direction.

So news of her breakup with Jack had got out.

Of course, she shouldn't have cared – after all, he was the jerk and _she'd _broken up with him – but she did care. It was no-one else's business yet somehow people felt they had a right to know - the unfortunate tag that came with being a cheerleader.

Approaching her English class, Eve's stomach was doing furious somersaults. Everyone would know what'd happened and the only people in her class she was friends with were Brie and Nikki. Eve had quit the team; there was no way any of the cheerleaders would stick by her. She wrapped her hand around the handle, pushed open the door and felt twenty six pairs of eyes flicker in her direction.

"Sorry I'm late," Eve said quickly, taking her usual seat in front of the twins, making sure she didn't meet their gaze.

"Glad you decided to show up, Miss Torres," Mrs Ainsbury said from the front of the class, frowning at the late arrival. "Please take out your copy of _The Crucible_ and turn to act three."

Eve did as she was told, fumbling in her bag for the book, quickly finding the page and getting lost in the story for the next forty five minutes. Unlike most of the class, Eve enjoyed _The Crucible _and loved losing herself in a book; sympathising with the characters and comparing the story to real life. She thought of the manipulative Abigail Williams and her anti-compassionate attitude. Similar to a certain head cheerleader, Eve thought, holding back a smirk.

"_Good morning, Beverly Hills High juniors," _The voice on the PA system was that of fellow junior Ashley Valance. President of the events committee, captain of the debate and volleyball team, general hottie and pretty much anything else you can think of. Oh, and she read the morning announcements. Duh.

Ashley Valance isn't the kind of girl that would conspire against you in a plan for her ex to take your virginity.

"_The votes for this year's prom king and queen nominees have been cast..."_

The potential kings were announced first; Jack, Miz, Kofi and John Morrison. Despite any personal vendettas Eve held, she decided these were reasonably predictable.

"_And for prom queen," _Ashley's peppy voice came through into the classroom. "_Ashley Valance – that's me. Thanks everyone!" _

Insert peppy giggles that made Eve want to throw something at the speaker.

"_Maryse Ouellet, Alicia Fox and Eve Torres." _

The Latina froze as every pair of eyes in the classroom once again fell on her, bringing a blush to her cheeks. Before, she'd have been thrilled to be nominated, but now? It felt wrong. Like she didn't deserve it.

"I guess I should be congratulating you, Miss Torres." Mrs Ainsbury smiled, lacking genuineness; however the bell rang before she could offer anymore fake praises. "I want everyone to read the final act for homework and I'll know if you don't, because there's an act four pop quiz next class!"

The class filtered out of the room almost instantly, even Mrs Ainsbury left to have a cigarette in the teacher's lounge, leaving Eve to pack up in silence. Unsurprisingly, Brie and Nikki – who'd normally have waited for Eve – were the first two to go. Eve wasn't shocked, nor did she blame them; Maryse wouldn't be happy if they hung around.

Slinging her bag over her shoulder and her posture sloping slightly due to the heavy weight of it, Eve made her way out of the classroom, only to be greeted by the last person she expected to want to talk to her.

"Hey," It was Tiffany. The girl she'd been too shallow to ever attempt to regain friendship with.

"Hi."

"Congratulations on your prom queen nomination," Unlike Mrs Ainsbury, Tiffany sounded like she actually cared. Eve thought to herself that Tiffany was the kind of girl that should've been nominated; she was beautiful, smart, kind...but she just wasn't Beverly Hills. She'd have been the queen of a smaller town. "You've got my vote."

"Seriously?"

Tiffany nodded. "Well, I hate Maryse and Alicia and if Ashley Valance wins junior prom queen, her ego will gain its own gravitational field. So that leaves you."

Eve laughed her first real, honest laugh in days. "Thank you."

* * *

Slipping into the empty seat at the lunch table – a seat always reserved for her – Maryse noticed a both uncomfortable and uncommon silence between the girls.

Alicia, who'd been a total basket case since her break-up with Kofi, was even quieter than usual, sat stabbing at her plate of green leaves, as if she were trying to tame it. Brie and Nikki were sharing a smoothie, their straws intertwining in the thick liquid, so they'd have to occasionally prise them apart. Rosa wasn't even attempting to busy herself; she sat staring at nothing until Maryse arrived, that was when her head snapped up to look at the blonde.

Maryse decided to ignore the tension, instead sipping at her smoothie before wrinkling up her nose. "No wonder you guys aren't drinking much," She pointed at the twins' full glass. "Tastes of shit."

"Where's Eve?" Alicia piped up, still poking her salad. It was as if she wasn't even aware of the tension and it was just a simple question.

With a bored sigh, Maryse looked up at her friends. "Eve withdrew herself from the squad."

There was a collective furrowing of brows around the table, as each cheerleader digested what the head had just told them. They already knew that; a collective Blackberry email from Maryse informed them all that they were one woman down.

"You never told us why," Brie spoke up, pushing her smoothie aside.

"Why did she leave the squad?" Nikki chipped in.

"And don't tell us that it's because of her and Jack, because that's bullshit."

Maryse arched an eyebrow; since when did Brie Bella grow a pair? Normally she preferred Brie, she had more common sense than Nikki, but right now, she was getting on her last nerve; this demanding bitch attitude wasn't going to make her popular with the head cheerleader.

"Maryse, we just want to know what's going on," Rosa said softly, trying to reason with her best friend.

"I don't know why you're all trying to turn this around on me," Maryse snapped. "I didn't kick here off the squad; she _chose_ to leave herself-"

"Yeah, but you're the only one who knows why." Rosa added. "Miz told me that he and Jack made a bet to see who could screw Eve first-"

"And I knew about it." Maryse finished. "I knew about it and I enjoyed it because I hate Eve Torres. She didn't like that I knew all along so she left the squad. We managed before she came along, and we'll manage now she's gone." She looked around the table at the stunned expressions. "Now, can we move on? We've got the state cheerleading cup to think about in June-"

"How can you think we stand a chance at that without Eve?" Brie raised an eyebrow in a similar manner to Maryse earlier on. "Before we had Eve, yeah, we were good, but now we have the potential to _win_ the whole state contest. Then we could go to nationals! Come on, Maryse, we need Eve-"

"We don't 'need' Eve-"

"Why don't you shove your pride aside for a minute and think about the team instead of your own selfish needs?" First Brie, now Nikki was giving her attitude? Maryse was shocked; it must be twin time of the month.

"Maybe you girls should remember your places." Maryse hissed, not wanting to cause a commotion in front of the whole cafeteria, "I'm the captain and therefore, I make the important decisions. And I say we're doing this without Eve."

Brie looked over at Nikki, who nodded back at her. Twin intuition at its finest. "If we're doing it without Eve, you're gonna have to do it without us." Without saying anymore words, both twins rose to their feet and left the cafeteria. The squad was down to three.

Maryse scoffed, looking at the door they'd just exited out of. "Whatever, they were the weak links anyway." She looked over at Rosa. "So is it still alright for me to-"

"Sorry, Maryse, I want to be on your side..." Her voice trailed off as she swung her handbag over her shoulder. "But the twins are right. We're a team – it's all or nothing. And that includes Eve." She went to kiss Maryse on the cheek, but the blonde turned her head so she couldn't. "Text me when you've calmed down."

Looking over at the last remaining cheerleader on the table, Maryse sighed. "And I suppose you're going to get up and leave in a minute too, right?"

Alicia looked up from her salad, having blanked out the whole conversation. "Huh?"

And Maryse thought Brie and Nikki were the weak links.

* * *

The lunchtime sun beat down on the courtyard so most of the students were sat outside, soaking up the rays. Arriving later than most, Eve, Kelly and Tiffany managed to find a small shady spot underneath one of the trees before pulling out their cafeteria lunches.

"There's a hair in my sandwich," Tiffany pulled out a thin black hair from between the slices of bread. "And it's definitely not mine."

"Ew," Kelly slapped Tiffany's hand so the hair blew away in light wind. Both blondes stopped giggling when they looked over at Eve, who was frowning. Kelly, who was closer to Eve than Tiffany, leaned over to touch her friend's knee. "Aww, sweetie, how're you feeling?"

"Like shit." Eve allowed herself to smile. "Even the whole prom queen thing just seems awful. I should be ecstatic but all I can think of is how with homecoming in a couple of weeks, I'm going to be dateless."

"Hey, we're going to be dateless too." Tiffany nudged the brunette encouragingly. "I'll be your date." She looked over at Kelly. "Or we can be a prom three-way. Like Three's Company or something."

"Actually," Kelly laced her fingers together and stretched them out in front of her. "I don't know if I'm going to be coming to prom."

"What?" Both Tiffany and Eve looked at the beauty in disbelief.

"You can't _not_ come to prom." Tiffany announced. "And it's not even just a normal prom, it's homecoming. Everyone comes to homecoming!"

"I need you there, Kelly." Eve decided to use her current sad state to her advantage. "I need all the moral support I can get. Plus, if on the rare chance I _do_ win prom queen, I want you to be there to see it."

"Sorry guys, I said I'd work an extra night at the Grape Vine." Actually, Kelly _offered_ to work another night at the restaurant. Her recent encounters with Kofi had showed her she wasn't ready to go to homecoming and fake a smile whilst he showed up with some pretty girl on his arm. It'd be way too painful for her.

"Oh my God," Eve whispered. "Ted's over there."

All three swivelled their heads to look over at one of the nearby buildings Ted was exiting from, along with Cody and a couple of other guys from their class. He'd yet to notice Eve, but she'd definitely seen him.

"I can't talk to him right now." Eve quickly gathered up her books and before the blondes could even attempt to talk to her, she'd dashed out of the courtyard towards the girls bathroom.

"What was that about?" Having only made up with Eve around a couple of hours earlier, the whole story had yet to be told to her.

"It's a long story," Kelly muttered.

"Hey," They both looked up and saw Ted walking towards them, leaving the group of guys behind. "Where'd Eve go?"

"She... had to..."

"Go to the bathroom?" Tiffany quickly added with a shrug.

Ted wasn't an idiot. Eve had been ignoring him ever since they spent that night together and he'd heard all about her break up with Jack. _Everything._ But that didn't mean she had a reason to ignore him. "Is she mad at me?" He asked Kelly. Other than him, she was Eve's best friend and surely knew everything.

"She just needs some space at the moment," Kelly told Ted sympathetically. "Just give her some time."

The thing was, all he'd given her was time.

* * *

Perhaps Maryse has had a taste of her just deserts :)  
And will Kelly show up at homecoming?  
Leave a **review** and find out in the next chapter! Xx


	36. Ironing Out The Edges

Chapter 36, here we go...

* * *

**IRONING OUT THE EDGES**

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* * *

**

"I dunno what it is about Brie," Montel smiled as he adjusted his tie so it was perfectly knotted. "It's not just that she's sexy, but she's sweet and she actually listens. Most chicks I date spend the whole time talking about themselves or they just blank out when the conversation isn't about them. But Brie cares. And not just that, but she wants to know, y'know?"

"Yeah," Kofi replied. He could hear Montel, but everything he said was a little too familiar.

_It's not just that Kelly's sexy, but she's sweet and she actually listens. Most chicks I date spend the whole time talking about themselves or they just blank out when the conversation isn't about them. But Kelly cares. And not just that, but Kelly wants to know, y'know?_

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

"_And you're not just saying this because you want to bone her?" _Now that wasn't Kofi talking, but Dolph Ziggler.

The guys – Kofi, Montel, Zack, Dolph and Jack - were getting ready for homecoming at Jack's house. Studs in suits were everywhere, ready to pick up their ladies in half an hour. Jack's bedroom was getting crowded, so Montel and Kofi, the two calmer members of the team, made their way to the bathroom.

"No, Dolph," Montel called back. "Just because you and Nikki have been at it since before you even made it official."

"Have you and Brie made it official?" Kofi asked.

"I wanted to do it tonight," He dug into his suit jacket pocket and pulled out a rose corsage. "Nikki told me Brie was wearing a red dress and I thought, well, she'll like this, won't she?"

"Definitely," Kofi agreed. He secretly wondered why he hadn't invited Kelly to prom. He was almost certain she didn't have a date and he'd have had a much better time with her than this chick Jack was setting him up with.

"_So what're the bets that Kelly Carlyle throws herself at Kofi tonight?" _Jack's grinning was inevitable, as Kofi listened to him and Dolph talking in the bedroom. The captain of the basketball team made kissy noises, "'_Oh Kofi, I love you, why won't you love me back?'" _

"Don't listen to them," Montel rolled his eyes, slapping cologne onto his neck. More than the other guys, Montel was accepting of Kofi's relationship with Kelly. He didn't know the truth about Kelly, but he didn't judge Kofi. "They're just messing around."

"_Beverly Hills has yet to have a prom night mommy," _Dolph added. _"Maybe she'll be the first!" _

Gritting his teeth, Kofi put on his waistcoat, using it as a weak attempt at a distraction. "Where's Miz?" He asked Montel, covering up the mock-sex noises Dolph was making in the bedroom.

"His mom's making him go for pre-prom drinks with his step-dad." Montel explained. "He ain't happy but at least he's human like the rest of us." He paused, putting down the bottle of cologne. "Y'know, I'm surprised you're actually here considering all that stuff with Jack and Eve and Miz."

Kofi looked over at Montel, "Why?" Obviously Jack and Eve had broken up but Kofi was doing his best to stay out of it.

"Dude, you don't know?" He looked reluctant to say. "I shouldn't be the one to tell you-"

"Did Eve cheat on Jack with Miz?"

He laughed, "No way, nothing like that. Eve wasn't at fault at all." Pulling the door shut, Montel sighed before lowering his voice. "Jack and Miz had a bet to see who could...'deflower' Eve first. Maryse knew about it too. Obviously Eve wasn't happy with any of them; that's why she left the cheerleading squad _and_ broke up with Jack."

Ever since their parents got married, Kofi had been overprotective of Eve. She'd become his sister and he didn't like people messing her around. Especially if it was his own friends doing the messing.

That was why in that moment, Kofi burst out of the bathroom and swung his right fist wildly until it hit Jack square in the face, sending the blonde flying back onto the bed. Same family, two attacks; God definitely wasn't on Jack's side in recent weeks.

"You scumbag!" Kofi spat as Dolph and Zack both lunged forward to pull Kofi off their friend. "You screwed over my sister!"

"I'm gonna have a black eye!" Jack announced, rubbing his sore face. "You son of a-"

"A black eye is the least of your worries," Kofi muttered, grabbing his jacket. "I'm out of here."

He made his way down the long staircase with Montel hot on his heels. "Kofi! Where're you going?"

"There's something I've gotta do."

* * *

"_Come here rude boy, boy can you get it up?" _Tiffany sings under her breath to the radio, as she shimmied around Eve's room, getting ready for homecoming with her friend.

"You do know what that song is about, don't you?" Eve joked, sitting at her dressing table as she fixed her hair, pinning back sections and letting her new extensions tumble down her back. "Dirty, dirty girl, Miss Terrell."

"Well, it's not like I'm singing it _to_ anyone." Tiffany paused to wink, "Accept you, of course."

"Honoured." The brunette smiled, watching as Tiffany slipped into a long red fishtail dress with a silver brooch in the centre of her cleavage. "Tiff, you look absolutely stunning."

"Speaking of stunning, why are you not wearing your dress yet?" Tiffany pointed at the gown that hung on the back of her door. "Your hair and make-up's done; time for the final touch."

"I'm not sure about it," Eve admitted quietly, tentatively looking at the dress. It was a slim-fitting, long yellow silk gown she'd bought on a shopping trip with Maryse and Rosa a couple of weeks ago and it reminded her of what used to be when she was happier. She remembered stepping out of the dressing room and feeling like a Grecian goddess and afterwards, when she slipped back into her cotton summer dress, she felt inadequate.

A couple of weeks had passed since the whole Jack-Maryse-Miz debacle and Eve had been keeping a low profile. Thank God for Tiffany and Kelly, otherwise she'd have gone completely off the edge. Even Ted had given up on talking to her; other than in classes, she hadn't seen him since she'd ran into the bathroom to hide from him. At least she was acing all her classes; there was an upside to everything. Now, it was time for prom and time for Eve to face the music.

"That's...That's not even a dress. That sheet of material is a piece of art." Tiffany sat down on the edge of Eve's bed, stiffly, due to her tight dress. "If you don't wear it, I will."

"I just-"

"Put on the dress, Eve."

When they first became friends, Eve didn't realise that Tiffany was a tough cookie that wouldn't take no for an answer. So not wanting to piss off the blonde, Eve slipped into the yellow dress, allowing Tiffany to zip her up, and slid her feet into a pair of cream heels.

"There." Tiffany stepped back so Eve could look at herself in the mirror. "Now tell me you don't feel like a princess."

Goddess seemed like a more appropriate compliment, she smiled to herself. Running her hands down the smooth fabric of the dress, Eve had to admit, she looked beautiful. But it was just that; she _looked_ it. She still felt awful. How was it possible that after all this time, she still felt incomplete?

"Gorgeous," Smiling, Tiffany got to her knees – with great difficulty – and tugged out the hem of the dress so it was crease-free. "Definitely homecoming-queen material."

"Don't say that, my money's on Maryse picking it up. Again."

"I dunno, stranger things have happened."

"Like Kelly winning in freshman year?" Eve had to smile, however it soon turned sad at the mention of their absent friend's name. They tried to act happy whilst getting ready but it was hard. Why had Kelly agreed to work at the restaurant for the night? It was homecoming and Eve wanted to spend the evening with Tiffany _and_ Kelly; it wouldn't be the same without her there.

"_Girls!_" The sound of Carol Torres' voice flooded into their bedroom. "_Your dates are here!_"

"Dates?" The two girls said in unison, raising eyebrows at each other. Their dates were each other.

As fast as they could in their heels, they hobbled down the stairs, only to find Ted and Cody, suited up at the bottom of the stairs with cheesy smiles on their faces.

"What're you doing here?" Eve asked, slowly walking towards Ted, as if she might scare him away if she moved too fast.

"I've always been there for you when you needed me," He smiled, taking hold of one of her hands. "I figured you might need me one more time."

"But I-"

"Let's talk about this later," He told her, holding out an arm so she could loop hers around it. "Your mom wants to take some pictures." Digging into the pocket of his trousers, he pulled out a box containing a cream coloured corsage. "Does it match?"

"Perfectly," Eve smiled, looping her arm through his and walking outside to where her mom was waiting, camera in hand, along with Cody and Tiffany.

Looking over at Cody, Tiffany rolled her eyes, "Okay, I get why Ted is here, but what're you doing?"

"That's no way to talk to your prom date!"

"Date!"

"Smile!" Both Cody and Tiffany grinned into Carol Torres, before she began snapping away at Ted and Eve.

"Yes, date." Cody continued. "You don't have a date, I don't have a date, you're hot and I'm super hot-"

"Aren't you supposed to be dating Michelle?" She cut in, hands on hips.

"For God's sake, Tiffany, you're not easy to please, are you? No, I'm not dating Michelle anymore." In Ted fashion, he pulled out a box containing a white rose corsage. "I didn't know what colour to get because I didn't know what colour your dress was. White goes with everything so I assumed it would be alright."

With a smile, she held out her wrist, waiting for him to put it on her, which he did.

"Tiffany Terrell," He grinned, holding her hand. "_Now_ will you go to prom with me?"

"You know what, Cody Rhodes?" She kissed him on the cheek. "You've got yourself a date."

* * *

Where's Kofi going?  
How will Ted and Eve's talk go?  
Plus, you all want more Cody, so you get some classic Cody :)  
Expect more drama as Brand New Day goes to homecoming in the next chapter!  
Also, there's now **two** chapters left to go.

Please **review** :)


	37. She Will Be Loved

Chapter 37... :)

* * *

**SHE WILL BE LOVED**

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* * *

**

Kelly didn't even like Twinkies, but as she sat on her couch watching Gossip Girl reruns, she opened up the box and began munching as they were the only junk food in the house. Unfortunately, her throat began to dry up and she could feel herself dry retching so she pushed the box aside and decided to just wait until her Chinese arrived.

This wasn't how she wanted to spend her homecoming night. She offered to work the evening shift at The Grape Vine restaurant, but they were already full-staffed so she wasn't need. Then she tried whoring herself to 7Eleven but it was someone else's shift and even when she offered to switch, they wouldn't budge. So instead, she was forced to spend her night alone.

But she chose this. There was no way she wanted to go to homecoming alone only to see Kofi happy with someone else. Everyone would be having fun except her and if she wanted to wallow, she'd rather do it alone than in front of the Beverly Hills High junior class.

Realising she'd have to go to the bathroom at some point, Kelly got to her feet and ran up the stairs, however she was stopped by something hanging from her mother's bedroom door with a note attached.

_I know you didn't want to go to homecoming but if you change your mind, I wanted you to have a dress. I wore it to my prom. Maybe it's not the coolest, but it's something. Mom xx_

Smiling, Kelly carried the bag downstairs and pulled out the dress and hanging it from one of the curtain poles in the living room. Long and turquoise blue, it was fairly simple, other than being backless with tiny flecks of silver giving it some sparkle. If it was her mothers, it must've been from the eighties. With not a shoulder pad in sight, instead replaced by simple spaghetti straps, it didn't look too bad.

But it didn't matter because she wasn't going to homecoming and the sound of the doorbell only reminded her of that. Her Chinese had arrived. As she raced around trying to find some cash, there was another ring at the doorbell to which she yelled, "I'm coming!" Eventually, she found her pink leathery wallet and stumbled towards the door, keeping her head bowed as she did so, searching for a ten dollar bill she knew she had in there somewhere.

"I'm not after your money, Kelly."

And as she looked up, she saw that it wasn't the Chinese delivery guy stood there, but Kofi.

Trying to register her shock and his presence, she held open the door. "What're you doing here?"

"You were the first person I saw when we moved to Beverly Hills." He walked through into her living room and paced the length of the room. "You didn't notice me though because you had your iPod earphones in. We were unloading boxes outside our house and you pulled up onto your driveway and went into your house without saying anything."

"What a bitch," Kelly both giggled and blushed, wondering where he was going.

Kofi stopped, turning around to look at her. "I remember spending the next couple of days thinking about how beautiful you were and how stuttery I'd get if I came around you."

"_You_ were stuttery around _me?" _She laughed. "Kofi, you were at Beverly Hills for like, five minutes and you were on the basketball team straight away. Everyone that meets you loves you; I never understood why you wanted to be friends with me-"

"Because you're amazing."

He caught both Kelly and himself off guard by saying it. The room went silent, only the sound of Blair and Chuck on the TV, quietly admitting their feelings to each other. _Three words, eight letters, saying it and I'm yours. _Art imitating life indeed.

"You're this...incredibly strong girl that has been through so much yet you get through it with the most beautiful smile-"

"Don't feel sorry for me, Kofi-"

"I don't. I'm in awe of you." Walking towards her, he took a deep breath. "You were the first girl I fell for when I came here and you were the only one I really wanted. It was just admitting it to myself that was the problem. But now, I'm ready."

"Don't say it if you don't mean it," Kelly shook her head, stood millimetres from him. "I've cared about you for too long for you to break my heart again."

"How do you know I'm going to break your heart if you don't let me in to begin with?"

Without hesitation, Kelly reached her hands upwards and pulled Kofi's face down onto hers, their lips touching gently. How long had she imagined this? She couldn't remember, but now it was here, it was perfect. All the heartbreak, all the times she'd wished he'd never come into her life, all the spoonfuls of ice cream; it had all led to this and she wouldn't have changed it for the world.

"I want to be with you Kelly," He admitted, kissing her on the forehead. "Screw the cliques, screw the labels, it doesn't matter if you're there."

It was like everything was finally falling into place.

"Where do we go from here?" Kelly whispered, Kofi's arms around her making her feel more comforted than she had in years.

"Homecoming," Kofi grinned down at her. "I didn't rent out a tux for nothing."

"Kofi, I'm not going to homecoming." She realised the only reason she wasn't going to homecoming was because of Kofi but now they were together, why shouldn't she go? In all honesty, she'd rather spend the night, snuggled up on her couch with Kofi, but that didn't seem like an excuse. "I don't have anything to wear."

"Well, what's that?" He pointed at the blue dress on the curtain pole.

"Oh, that's my mom's, it's not mine-"

"So? It's a dress." Kofi walked over and picked it up, before putting the hanger over Kelly's head so the dress covered over her. "Besides, you could wear anything and look beautiful."

Kelly smiled, thinking how she could definitely get used to this.

* * *

Arriving at the school gym, Miz instantly wished he'd arrived sooner.

Although the party didn't start until he walked in – to quote his secret crush Ke$ha - he wondered if there was anything he'd missed out on. It didn't matter; at least if he was late, people saw him, unlike if he arrived in the crush with everyone else. He could already feel the chicks' eyes falling on him; he knew he'd have to pick of the pack.

But there was only one girl he wanted.

Maryse was stood alone by the buffet table, sipping at a drink and looking around at everyone else. It had been a difficult couple of weeks for the former head cheerleader as her whole squad decided to ditch her, leaving her pretty much friendless. That was, apart from Miz. Slowly but surely, he'd weaved his way into her good books but as he walked towards her, he wished he could be something more. Her long black dress, her blonde hair perfectly styled, pulled back off her face; she looked every inch the prom queen he wanted her to be.

"I'm glad you decided to come along," He told her, greeting her with a nod.

"I'm a prom queen nominee. I couldn't miss out." She smiled coyly, placing down her drink. "Although, a date would've been nice."

"I can be your date," He suggested. "After all, we're probably the two most attractive people in this gym. I mean, in some ways, it's crazy that we haven't already got together."

Unsure as to what he was getting at, Maryse winced, still smiling. "What're you suggesting?"

Miz shrugged, "You can take it as you see it."

"Okay," Maryse nodded carefully, stepping towards Miz until the space between them was deep and dark. She pursed her lips slightly and leaned in suggesting she was going to kiss him, until something else caught her eye in the doorway of the gym. She backed away and raised her eyebrow, before exclaiming "Oh my God! Kelly and Kofi?"

* * *

'_A place to crash, I got you. No need to ask, I got you. Just get on the phone, I got you. Come and pick you up if I have to...'_

With Leona Lewis playing on the PA system, Eve swayed to the music, her movements perfectly in sync with Ted's as his hands sat on her waist and her hands with looped behind his neck. She knew that as soon as the song ended, they'd have to talk, something they'd been putting off since their arrival. If Eve could've stayed in that moment forever, she would have.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to say," She eventually said to Ted, continuing to move with him. "So maybe it would be best if you spoke first."

Ted laughed, moving one of his hands to push a lock of hair behind her ear, before putting it back on her waist. "Well, one of us has to." But he didn't say anything. He just looked at her. For about a minute, neither of them said anything, instead they chose to look into each other's eyes.

"Is this your way of putting off talking?" Eve smiled, suddenly blushing.

"No," He shook his head. "Sometimes, just looking at you is enough. I remember sometimes I'd log onto Facebook just so I could look at your profile photo."

There were bright pink spots on Eve's cheeks and her smile was broadening out.

"To say you're beautiful is doing you an injustice, you're perfect. Inside and out. And you don't even realise how wonderful you are." He paused, scratching the back of his head. "Do you remember the first time we spoke?"

"Yeah, it was after my cheerleading practise and I asked to borrow your phone because my battery-"

Ted shook his head, smiling. "No, it wasn't. It was two days earlier in biology class and you apologized to me for accidentally knocking my pen off the table. I remember thinking that a girl like you would never go for a guy like me and when we spoke two days later, I was...over the moon. Head over heels for you."

"But you never-"

"Told you? Yeah, I thought if I waited and 'picked my moment' then it would be perfect. Turns out I waited too long because you got together with Swagger." He grinned. The song had changed but they were still swaying to the same tune. "The whole time you were with him, I'd think 'Eve could do so much better. She could be with me'. But you were happy with Jack and all I wanted was for you to be happy because you're the most important person in my life.

"When you needed me to be there for you, to look after you, I was. And when I woke up the next morning, I was stupidly happy. But you went back to Jack and I was heartbroken because you were with the wrong guy. Then you guys broke up and I thought 'Finally, she'll want me.' But then you spent the past couple of weeks ignoring me."

"God," Eve scratched her head in a similar fashion to how Ted had earlier. "I certainly haven't thrown you any curveballs, have I?"

"So make it up to me by being with me now," Ted said eagerly, stopping their dance by taking hold of her hands. "I want to be the one that makes you smile and gets to wake up to your beautiful face. I want to be the one that you share your problems with and I want to be the one you gossip to all your girlfriends about. I want to be _the one_ and I know I can be-"

"You already are." Eve's smile was wider than ever and with tears in the corners of her eyes, she sniffed lightly. "You're a smooth talker, DiBiase; I didn't know you had it in you."

"Just saying what was in my heart," He took one of her hands he was holding and kissed it. "So what do you say?"

"Why don't we not say anything at all?" She leaned in and placed a kiss on his lips, much like the one from their first night together, making it even sweeter. Eve smiled against his lips, suddenly feeling relieved; _this _was perfect. Instead of going looking for her perfect guy, he'd found her.

"_Would all the nominees for king and queen make their way onto the stage? We are about to reveal the results." _

"No!" Eve laughed at Principal Kerrigan's announcement. "Not now-"

"Go," Ted told her, kissing her carefully on the lips. "Show everyone why you'll make the best homecoming queen ever."

"I haven't won yet."

"You have in my eyes."

* * *

After the inevitable happened and Jack Swagger won homecoming king, the whole hall was buzzing to see who'd win queen with it apparently being a deadlock between Maryse and Eve and the winner having only scraped it by a few votes. Everyone was on their toes and not even because of the ridiculous amount of high heels.

"Settle down everyone," Principal Kerrigan said, as Jack Swagger mocked doing a stage dive into the crowd of students. "Now we've got our homecoming king, let's see who our queen is."

Excited whispers filled the hall as the four nominees stood in a row onstage, Maryse and Eve on opposite ends of the line, of course.

"And this year's 2010 Beverly Hills High homecoming queen is..." There was a drum roll before Kerrigan opened up the envelope. "Maryse Ouellet!"

Half the hall burst into applause and the other half stood in stunned silence. It was the obvious choice having Maryse win; captain of the cheerleading team and general hottie, but there was an uproar of sympathy for poor Eve Torres and it was possible that she'd win. It turned out that by just six votes, the students of Beverly Hills were loyal to their own kind.

"Wow," Maryse breathed as she slipped the crown and stepped towards the mic to address the student body. "If you'd have asked a couple of months ago who I'd predict to be homecoming queen, I'd probably have put myself at the top. Over the past couple of weeks, I wasn't so sure."

"Thank you, Maryse."

"No, Principal Kerrigan, there's something I need to say." Looking around at her fellow students, for the first time in her life, Maryse felt scared. "Everyone always assumes I'm this backstabbing, boyfriend stealer that you can't trust and yeah, I've never claimed to be a nice girl but I'm not a bad girl either."

"Maryse!"

"Don't interrupt me!" She thrust a hand out at Kerrigan. "Most of you know this year I probably acted my worst and my life disintegrating around me for me to realise that I made life miserable for a girl who didn't deserve it," Stealing a glance at Eve, Maryse's expression softened. "And for that, I am sorry.

"But for those of you who expect me to change my ways, forget about it. I'm me for a reason. I'm-" This time, Maryse looked over in Miz's direction. "-awesome. And I like to think everyone here thinks the same. Yeah, I am sorry for some of the stuff I've done, but I don't regret it. Why have regrets? We can't go back and change the past as much as we want to.

"Junior class, I think we've all grown a lot this year. In more ways than one."

* * *

Wow, that was eventful.  
Two new couples and one almost couple.  
But don't worry, there's one chapter left **then** a sequel straight after - literally, I'm posting the link to the sequel on the end of the last chapter :)  
Basically, the sequel will include Eve/Ted, Kofi/Kelly and two other couples, one of which hasn't been touched upon AT ALL in this story despite the characters being involved.

Please leave a **review** :)


	38. Only The Beginning

Chapter 38 and the final one of _Brand New Day_! Enjoy, my loveyyys.

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**ONLY THE BEGINNING**

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* * *

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Being draped over a lounger poolside wasn't exactly how Eve expected to wake up after homecoming but in actual fact, it was perfect. Squished up next to her was Ted, both his arms wrapped around her waist and his tux jacket covering them both up. She tossed the jacket aside; it had been cold when they fell asleep, but now the morning sun was beating strongly down on them.

The previous night had been perfect. Eve hadn't won homecoming queen but she'd gained so much more in Ted. Her best friend had become her boyfriend and what could be better than that? They already knew everything about each other, they'd even slept together; it was like starting on the sixth date.

"Ted," She nudged her sleeping boyfriend and rolled over so she was facing him. "Sweetie, wake up."

Grumbling, he opened his eyes before a smile crept onto his face. "Good morning."

"Last night was amazing." Eve smiled, thinking back. After homecoming, Brie and Nikki held a post-homecoming party at their house. The whole night, Eve stayed glued to Ted's side and she liked it that way.

"I know," Ted agreed, pulling Eve close again. "I'm sorry you didn't win queen."

"Forget about it," She kissed him on the lips. "I have."

Before Ted or Eve could say anything, the large patio doors slid open and out came Brie and Nikki, both looking fresh and groomed despite their late nights as hostesses. "Good morning," They said in unison, sitting side-by-side on a lounger opposite the couple.

"Morning twins," Ted shot them a sleepy grin. He'd known them for years and hadn't needed to tell the difference between them but now he and Eve were going out, he'd have to learn. "Thanks for last night. Where's the nearest bathroom?"

"There's one in the pool house, just through there." Nikki waved a finger in the general direction.

"Last night was amazing," Eve admitted once Ted was gone. "You guys throw an awesome party."

"I don't think you had a good night because of us." Nikki winked, stretching out on the lounger so her already slim stomach flattened out even more. "You're all over each other. You're gonna be randy animals by the time you actually seal the deal."

Eve bit back a smile. "Actually..."

"No!" Both twins squealed, in the process waking up one of their guests who was previously asleep. "When? Last night?"

"No!" She exclaimed, the idea itself just being plain trashy. "I'll tell you about it another day."

"Well, the reason we came over is that we wanted to make sure you'd be coming back to cheerleading after spring break." Brie neatly folded her hands in her lap and spoke seriously. "I get that you left because Maryse betrayed you-"

Ah yes, Maryse's homecoming speech rang in Eve's ears. It was definitely the worst apology Eve had ever heard, but she did say that painful word; sorry.

"-but please don't punish all of us for what she did. You're the best on the squad and we can't afford to lose you."

"Plus, we told Maryse if you weren't doing it, none of us were." Nikki chipped in proudly. "We're on your side, Eve."

"You heard here last night. She regrets what she did, and this is Maryse! She doesn't regret anything!" Brie leaned over to take one of Eve's hands, a move Nikki copied. "Plus, you have to admit, you've missed having us around."

Kelly and Tiffany were definitely Eve's _best_ friends, the ones she could cry to, laugh with and trust with her deepest secrets. But Brie was right; Eve loved the cheerleaders. "Okay, I'll come back." More ear piercing squeals ensued as all three hugged it out. At least now Eve could do what she loved again; cheerleading.

"Come on," Brie got up and held out the hand Eve had previously been holding. "Everyone's having breakfast inside."

"I'll come in a minute."

Once the twins had disappeared inside, Eve stood up and stretched, her fingers and toes pointed. She looked around; the turquoise pool, the bright sunshine, the hoards of beautiful people, did she really deserve all this? Coming from a small town outside Denver, Colorado, Beverly Hills was definitely a change of scenery. But change was good, wasn't it?

"Ready for breakfast, beautiful?" A pair of arms wrapped around her waist from behind and Eve especially wondered if she deserved him.

* * *

"Who eats cupcakes for breakfast?" Kofi mused aloud, picking up one of the perfectly iced sweet treats.

"Are you complaining?" Kelly, who was sat next to him on the balcony, licked at the pink icing with catlike flicks of her tongue. "Don't you like cupcakes?"

"They taste good, but they're a little...girly," He shrugged, loosening the tie he'd been wearing the previously night and tossing it aside.

With a sly smile, Kelly stuck her finger into the pink goo and pulled it out again triumphantly. "Try some."

Kofi narrowed his eyes at his new girlfriend, who gave her most coy smile and kept her cake-finger stuck erect. She could be so innocent when she wanted to be.

"Go on."

Cautiously, he opened his mouth but as he did, Kelly used her free hand to grab the cupcake and smash it against Kofi's nose. As she drew the cupcake away, she giggled at his messy face. "I'm all sugary and gross!"

"Aww, poor baby." Kelly pouted. "Let me help you clean up." She leaned over to seductively lick a line up the bridge of his nose, a track forming in the icing. "Better?"

"Damn, maybe I should get messy more often." He murmured, their faces millimetres from each other. "I don't have any on my lips, do I?"

"Maybe I don't want to use that as an excuse anymore." She kissed him, their tongues curling against each other and their lips caressing, causing Kofi to melt like the cupcake icing on his face was, as the morning sun hit it.

"What're you thinking?" Kofi asked as Kelly stopped kissing him to simply stare into his big brown eyes.

Kelly tried to think back on the last time she'd been at Brie and Nikki's house. They were freshmen, probably sat by the girls pool, drinking non-alcoholic cocktails and reading Teen Vogue without a care in the world. Now, she was sat on the balcony of their mom's bedroom with her new boyfriend, curled under a Marimekko blanket and licking icing off his face. A lot of shit had happened in between those two events but the latter was where she was happiest.

In fact, they could've been anywhere but as long as Kofi was there, Kelly would be happy.

Even though the tail of her mother's prom dress creased as her legs curled underneath her and her hair was dishevelled, she didn't care. Looking at Kofi, it gave her a warm fuzzy feeling in her stomach that nothing else could replace. His friendly face, those warm brown eyes, that laugh that made her feel so cared for; he was perfect.

"How good I think we'll be together."

Kofi pulled Kelly in for another kiss. He wasn't a wordsmith so he hoped this would show just how he felt.

"Whoa, major PDA alert." The balcony doors opened and Eve and Ted joined Kelly and Kofi outside.

"It wasn't public because no-one else was there to see it." Kofi pointed out.

"Only the whole of Los Angeles."

Eve took Ted by the hand and led him over to a lounger. "Now I know why you guys chose here to set up camp. It's incredible."

It was only after Eve's comment that Kelly and Kofi realised how beautiful the view was. The sun was a gleaming yellow ball in the clear blue sky and the whole of Los Angeles was spread out before them, the city buzzing as the day began. When they'd been out there the previous night, it had been too dark to see, but in the morning glow, it was picturesque.

"Spectacular." Kelly agreed, clutching Kofi's hand and never wanting to let go.

"You know," Eve began, absentmindedly wrapped one of Ted's arms around her, something she was becoming accustomed to doing. "I can't believe you never told me you liked each other. I mean, my brother and my best friend? How did I not see this coming?"

"You had your own issues to think about." Kelly chuckled, not taking her eyes off the view but keeping her head rested against Kofi's shoulder.

"I didn't realise what was in front of me all along." Kofi said.

"And I was waiting for him to do just that."

"Which I did."

"Took you long enough." Kelly smiled.

"Can I ask you something?" Kofi and Ted were never that close, so Kofi was surprised when his step-sister's boyfriend spoke to him specifically. "Why do you have pink shit all over your face?"

"It's a..." Kofi stared at the blonde and grinned. "A long story."

It's all a long story, Eve thought to herself. Kofi and Kelly, Ted and herself; isn't it crazy how the closest of friends can become even closer? It's a very long story indeed, but looking at how blissfully happy her brother and best friend were, then seeing Ted looking at her with such love in his eyes, it was definitely a story she wanted to revisit. When you first read a book, you miss the little things; jokes, quips, the small moments.

But Eve? Eve wanted to remember every moment.

* * *

Awww, a perfect ending much?  
I guess everyone got what they wanted...but there's always the sequel to mess that up! Haha, I'm evil.  
Right, the sequel is called _Pocketful Of Sunshine_ and if you go onto my page, you'll see a link under my stories :)

I do have one favour to ask.  
Would you mind reviewing...just one last time? Pretty please? Haha, cheers!

Thank you to everyone that reviewed and enjoyed this fic - you are all _fabulous_!  
But you know what'll make you even more fab? If you have a look at the sequel...

Hopefully see you there? :)  
Melissa Xx


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